James Daniel facts for kids

James Daniel was born on January 17, 1953. He is a former American football coach. He worked as a coach for many years. His last coaching job was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He coached the team's tight end players in the National Football League (NFL).

James Daniel's Football Journey

Playing in College

James Daniel played college football at Alabama State University. He was an offensive guard for four years. An offensive guard is a player who blocks defenders. This helps his team's running backs and quarterback. He earned a "letter" each year, which means he was a key player on the team.

Starting His Coaching Career

After college, Daniel became a coach. He started at Enterprise High School. From 1974 to 1980, he coached the offensive line. This is the group of players who block for the offense. He was very good at this job. During his time there, eleven of his players received scholarships to play college football.

Coaching at Auburn University

In 1981, Daniel moved to Auburn University. He became the offensive line coach for the Auburn Tigers. He worked there for 12 years, until 1992. During this time, the Auburn team played in nine bowl games in a row. Bowl games are special football games played at the end of the season. Many of his offensive linemen were chosen as All-American players. This means they were among the best players in the country. Several others were named All-SEC players. The SEC is a very strong college sports league.

Coaching in the NFL

James Daniel also coached in the NFL, which is professional football. He first got experience through a special program. He worked with the New Orleans Saints in 1988. Later, in 1992, he worked with the Denver Broncos.

His first full-time NFL coaching job was with the New York Giants. He coached their tight ends from 1993 to 1996. A tight end is a player who can block and also catch passes.

Then, he joined the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He coached their tight ends until 2003. He helped a player named Alge Crumpler become very good. Crumpler caught many passes for the Falcons. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times. The Pro Bowl is a game where the best players from the NFL play against each other. Daniel also coached the Falcons' offensive line in 2000.

Coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers

In 2004, Daniel joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. He became their tight ends coach. He helped another great tight end, Heath Miller. Daniel guided Miller to become a strong player. Miller set new team records for tight ends. He had the most catches, touchdowns, and yards in a season. He also had many catches in postseason games. Miller was also chosen for the Pro Bowl.

As a coach, James Daniel helped the Steelers win two Super Bowl championships. They won Super Bowl XL in 2005 and Super Bowl XLIII in 2008. The Super Bowl is the championship game of the NFL season.