Matt Daniel Is Holding It Down For the Eagles
11/16/2023 1:30:00 PM | Football
Senior takes the long route to get to Statesboro
STATESBORO - Matthew Daniel had to travel 640 miles from home to realize he would be in the right place just 55 miles away. And as he prepares for his final game at Allen E. Paulson Stadium on Saturday, he looks back on his long, winding road to college football and ahead to what's next.
As a talented punter at Richmond Hill High School, Daniel was offered a preferred walk-on spot at West Virginia University when the coaches were recruiting teammate Sam James to play wide receiver. After agreeing to attend school in Morgantown, Daniel realized that being that far from home wasn't for him.
"It didn't take long for me to figure out that 12 hours is far, far away from home, and so I decided to transfer out and move back closer to home," Daniel said.
It's funny how life works. Daniel went to WVU to be different since he said many of his high school classmates at RHHS came to Georgia Southern. But it turns out Statesboro and Georgia Southern were precisely what he needed to be happy. After transferring out, he ended up at Georgia Southern in the fall of 2020 as a regular student but still had the itch to play football and be part of a team. So, after going through the Edwin James Memorial Walk-On Tryouts in the spring of 2021, Daniel got the nod and was back on a team where he felt like he belonged.
"This game has given me so much, and I was thankful for that opportunity to try out and be able to play here," Daniel said. "Being from around here, I grew up coming to games here, so to be part of this program and this team now is something I don't take for granted."
Daniel worked as a punter, honing his craft each year, but never got in a game. He even played wide receiver one spring ball and caught a touchdown pass on the game's final play. Still, after four years of college, he had yet to see the field in a game. Heading into this year, the Eagles needed to replace their holder with the graduation of Anthony Beck II. Daniel saw an opening and took advantage of it and has held for every snap this season, taking the field as a Division I football player for the first time in his career.
"In high school, being a punter and receiver, I had pretty good hands," Daniel said. "I started holding my sophomore year, and my kicker was pretty good, so he started kicking off the ground as opposed to how most kickers in high school kick off a block. So I've been doing it for a while and knew that was my forte. I love holding; it's kind of fun. You don't get much credit for it, but I'm just as happy as Michael Lantz when he makes a field goal, knowing that I played a small role in his success. I didn't get many opportunities before this season, but I've trusted the process. I'll do anything to help this team win. That's how I was raised and what I intend to do going forward in life. "
Daniel's on-field ride with the Eagles will soon end. Still, he'll trade his cleats for a calculator in January and become a graduate assistant in the athletics business office while pursuing his master's degree in public administration. He graduated last May with a degree in finance and worked as an intern in the business office last year.
"It's kind of funny; I'd be eating snacks in the fueling station one day and paying the invoices on those snacks later in the week," Daniel quipped. "It's been a full-circle moment for me realizing just how much goes into running an athletic department, so that's been cool. I love being a part of the business office working with Haley, Ty, and Ashley, and I'm excited to get back and start back up in January."
Saturday will mark the final game for the Seniors as they take the field one more time. It's a bittersweet moment for Daniel but one he's looking forward to.
"I was laying in bed the other night, and it struck me that Saturday against ODU was Senior Day. I didn't realize it was this weekend, but I'm excited for it," he said. "It's all flown by. It's crazy because if you'd asked me as a junior in high school, there's no way I would have wanted to go to Georgia Southern because it's so close to home. All the kids from Richmond Hill go there. I wanted to get away and play ball somewhere else. But now I look back on it and wouldn't change it for the world. It's been an absolute blessing. I've been blessed with the opportunity to come back here and be a part of this team and this program.
"It's bittersweet, obviously, but I'm blessed to be able to continue with the athletic department next semester. But as a player, there's nothing like being in Paulson Stadium on Saturday night. The fans and the crowd make it memorable. Obviously, It'll be sad, but I'll be happy if we go out there and play well, and I have a chance to help the team get a win."
Georgia Southern takes on Old Dominion in a key Sun Belt Conference game Saturday night at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., with the pregame Senior Ceremony set to start around 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available at GSEagles.com/Tickets.
As a talented punter at Richmond Hill High School, Daniel was offered a preferred walk-on spot at West Virginia University when the coaches were recruiting teammate Sam James to play wide receiver. After agreeing to attend school in Morgantown, Daniel realized that being that far from home wasn't for him.
"It didn't take long for me to figure out that 12 hours is far, far away from home, and so I decided to transfer out and move back closer to home," Daniel said.
It's funny how life works. Daniel went to WVU to be different since he said many of his high school classmates at RHHS came to Georgia Southern. But it turns out Statesboro and Georgia Southern were precisely what he needed to be happy. After transferring out, he ended up at Georgia Southern in the fall of 2020 as a regular student but still had the itch to play football and be part of a team. So, after going through the Edwin James Memorial Walk-On Tryouts in the spring of 2021, Daniel got the nod and was back on a team where he felt like he belonged.
"This game has given me so much, and I was thankful for that opportunity to try out and be able to play here," Daniel said. "Being from around here, I grew up coming to games here, so to be part of this program and this team now is something I don't take for granted."
Daniel worked as a punter, honing his craft each year, but never got in a game. He even played wide receiver one spring ball and caught a touchdown pass on the game's final play. Still, after four years of college, he had yet to see the field in a game. Heading into this year, the Eagles needed to replace their holder with the graduation of Anthony Beck II. Daniel saw an opening and took advantage of it and has held for every snap this season, taking the field as a Division I football player for the first time in his career.
"In high school, being a punter and receiver, I had pretty good hands," Daniel said. "I started holding my sophomore year, and my kicker was pretty good, so he started kicking off the ground as opposed to how most kickers in high school kick off a block. So I've been doing it for a while and knew that was my forte. I love holding; it's kind of fun. You don't get much credit for it, but I'm just as happy as Michael Lantz when he makes a field goal, knowing that I played a small role in his success. I didn't get many opportunities before this season, but I've trusted the process. I'll do anything to help this team win. That's how I was raised and what I intend to do going forward in life. "
Daniel's on-field ride with the Eagles will soon end. Still, he'll trade his cleats for a calculator in January and become a graduate assistant in the athletics business office while pursuing his master's degree in public administration. He graduated last May with a degree in finance and worked as an intern in the business office last year.
"It's kind of funny; I'd be eating snacks in the fueling station one day and paying the invoices on those snacks later in the week," Daniel quipped. "It's been a full-circle moment for me realizing just how much goes into running an athletic department, so that's been cool. I love being a part of the business office working with Haley, Ty, and Ashley, and I'm excited to get back and start back up in January."
Saturday will mark the final game for the Seniors as they take the field one more time. It's a bittersweet moment for Daniel but one he's looking forward to.
"I was laying in bed the other night, and it struck me that Saturday against ODU was Senior Day. I didn't realize it was this weekend, but I'm excited for it," he said. "It's all flown by. It's crazy because if you'd asked me as a junior in high school, there's no way I would have wanted to go to Georgia Southern because it's so close to home. All the kids from Richmond Hill go there. I wanted to get away and play ball somewhere else. But now I look back on it and wouldn't change it for the world. It's been an absolute blessing. I've been blessed with the opportunity to come back here and be a part of this team and this program.
"It's bittersweet, obviously, but I'm blessed to be able to continue with the athletic department next semester. But as a player, there's nothing like being in Paulson Stadium on Saturday night. The fans and the crowd make it memorable. Obviously, It'll be sad, but I'll be happy if we go out there and play well, and I have a chance to help the team get a win."
Georgia Southern takes on Old Dominion in a key Sun Belt Conference game Saturday night at Allen E. Paulson Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., with the pregame Senior Ceremony set to start around 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available at GSEagles.com/Tickets.
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