Family, coaches gather to remember MJ Daniels, Southern Miss football player who was killed
LUCEDALE ― They came in numbers, lining the bleachers in George County High School's gymnasium. Some donned Southern Miss black and gold. Others wore MJ Daniels' name on their backs.
They all spent their afternoons remembering the life of Daniels, a defensive back for the Golden Eagles who was shot and killed at the age of 21 in Hattiesburg on June 11.
The mourners filled the funeral ceremony at Daniels' former high school with music and storytelling. They spun tales about his football career, of his love for hunting and fishing and about his habit for lighting up any room he stepped into.
"All the people in here is a reflection of the 21 good years he gave us," the Rev. Jaleel Dantzler told the crowd.
Dantzler was among several speakers who helped remember Daniels' life. Among the others were Southern Miss coach Will Hall, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, George County coach James Ray, former Ole Miss and Mississippi State assistant Terrell Buckley, Southern Miss cornerbacks coach Dwike Wilson, George County Principal Sid Taylor, Southern Miss team chaplain Mitch Williams, senior pastor Jessie J. Benn and the Rev. Rondel Sinclair Jr.
Daniels' coaches discussed how they forged their relationship with him through football but grew to appreciate his personality and character. They highlighted his infectious smile and the way he made an impact on others.
"When you're done, what's your legacy?" Hall said. "Can you fill up a gym?
"Lucedale is a better place because of MJ Daniels. Southern Miss is a better place because of MJ Daniels. Those young men right there are better because of MJ Daniels. That's real wealth."
The young men Hall referenced formed the Southern Miss football team, which bused in from Hattiesburg for the service. Before transferring to the Golden Eagles for the 2023 season, Daniels played two years at Ole Miss. Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart and safety Trey Washington attended the service, as did coordinator of recruiting strategy Kelvin Bolden.
"MJ was electric," Kiffin said. " . . . He would just be so excited every day, full of life."
Taylor recalled an early morning when Daniels — still in high school — called him out of the blue, just wanting to see how he was doing. Ray remembered the fishing trips they shared, and their annual hunting competition over who could bag the biggest buck.
DANIELS: How family, friends honored Southern Miss’ MJ Daniels at George County memorial
Williams, the USM team chaplain, shared a conversation he once had with Daniels, where Daniels confided that he just wanted to be a positive example for the town of Lucedale to point to.
The packed gymnasium, with the court full of chairs and few spaces left in the surrounding bleachers, was evidence that Daniels had succeeded in that quest, Williams said.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Coaches, family at funeral service for slain USM player MJ Daniels
