Jayden Daniels Has The Perfect Approach To Becoming Face Of Washington Commanders Franchise

If you need perspective, let's remember that Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy. And was selected by the Washington Commanders with the No. 2 overall pick in the April draft. And he's been making the rounds around the Nation's Capitol, throwing out the first pitch at a Nationals game and hanging out as a VIP with the Team USA soccer team.

Oh, yes, and he's the new face of a team desperately wanting to reshape its identity both on and off the field.

So how's that stardom fitting Jayden Daniels? 

NEW YORK - Quarterback Jayden Daniels of the LSU Tigers poses with The Heisman Memorial Trophy at New York Marriott Marquis Hotel on December 9, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Jayden Daniels: I'm Not A Star Yet

"I mean, I ain’t a star quarterback yet. I got a long way to go," Daniels told reporters Wednesday afternoon as the Commanders continued their mandatory minicamp. "I'm a rookie, to answer that. 

"But, just coming out here and just being able to experience different things. That was my first time throwing out a first pitch, that was my first time going to the soccer game and just seeing the atmosphere and seeing different sports. 

"And to be able to just go out there and support them, coming into a new town, a new community and be able to go out there and support and showing them love, so when our season comes around the players at the Nationals game or people on Team USA for soccer want to come to a game, they can and they can come show love too."

And this answer is, well, perfect. 

It shows that regardless whether the Commanders have a player that is going to light up the scoreboard this year or turn the thing around for an embattled franchise, the kid's got the right perspective.

Zero entitlement.

Zero pretension.

Ashburn, Va. - Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels stands on the field during OTA workouts at Commanders Park on June 5. Photo: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Jayden Daniels Understands Challenges

Daniels is 23 years old but is showing the wisdom of a sage in letting people know he doesn't know it all. He doesn't even know what he doesn't know as he prepares to become the Commanders' starter in 2024.

That comes with challenges.

"Yeah, I'll just say the learning curve of going out there and learning how to be a pro," Daniels said. "I know I said that previously in [rookie] minicamp. I just want to learn how to go out there and be a pro and that's probably the biggest gap for me is learning how to be a pro, having a routine, the playbook, stuff like that. 

"And I'm just trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible."

That requires work. It requires any rookie to work overtime to catch up with more experienced teammates. It requires a rookie quarterback more than that, so he can actually lead those more experienced teammates.

And so Daniels is putting in the work. He arrives at the Commanders' facility pretty much before anyone else.

"I get here around like 5:45 a.m. and just walk-thru in the bubble in the indoor [facility], watching film and stuff like that," Daniels said. "But just trying to prepare myself for the day. It's kind of just that routine that I had when I was in college, but now I'm in there actually walking through because I'm still learning the playbook and trying to grasp everything. 

"So just being comfortable for the day and being ready to go out there and go out and compete at practice."

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Photo: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Road To Stardom Paved With Work

Think about this: A walk-thru is a practice in slow motion. And Daniels is putting himself through that every morning so that when the actual practice happens, he's been there and done that to a degree.

That's leadership by example. And others have noticed and are following.

Fellow rookie Luke McCaffrey, whose family that includes former NFL receiver Ed and current running back Christian, understands there's no substitute for hard work. So he's joined Daniels every morning.

"It just started from probably rookie minicamp," Daniels said. "Luke asked me what I was doing. He seen me up early one day, told him and he showed up ever since."

Daniels has not been bashful about using others as a resource. He saw guard Nick Allegretti arriving early. So he's arriving earlier. And he's seen Allegretti's work ethic and is picking his brain to incorporate whatever he can.

"Yeah, 100 percent," Daniels said. "The work that you put in is the work that you're going to give out. If you really want to be successful, you want to learn, you want to be a pro at the highest level, you got to take knowledge of people, learn from their routines.

"What helps them be successful? Obviously, Nick, he was with the Chiefs and what they did over there, so he gets here early, man, and I'm always an early guy. I kind of learned that when I was at LSU, and now I took it here.

"Still trying to tweak it a little bit, but I still got a long way to go."

The awareness Daniels shows innately by merely admitting he's got a long way to go is important. It doesn't guarantee he'll definitely become the star some already are saying he is.

But it definitely has put him on the right path.