James Daniel facts for kids

James Daniel (born January 17, 1953) is a former American football coach. He is known for helping players become great at their positions. Daniel coached in the National Football League (NFL) for many years. He also won two Super Bowl championships as a coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

James Daniel's Football Journey

Playing in College

James Daniel was a talented football player in college. He played as an offensive guard for Alabama State University. An offensive guard is a player who blocks for the running backs and quarterback. He played well enough to earn a "letter" for all four years he was there.

Starting His Coaching Career

After college, Daniel started coaching football. His first job was at Enterprise High School. From 1974 to 1980, he coached the offensive line. He was very good at this job. Eleven of his offensive linemen earned college scholarships because of his coaching.

Coaching in College Football

In 1981, Daniel moved to Auburn University. He coached the offensive line for the Auburn Tigers football team. He stayed there for 12 years, until 1992. During his time at Auburn, the team played in nine bowl games in a row. Many of his players were chosen as All-Americans or All-SEC players. This means they were among the best players in the country or their conference.

Coaching in the NFL

Daniel got his first taste of professional football coaching through special programs. He worked with the New Orleans Saints in 1988 and the Denver Broncos in 1992.

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

Then, he moved to the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He coached tight ends there until 2003. He helped a player named Alge Crumpler become a star. Crumpler led the Falcons in catches and was chosen for the Pro Bowl multiple times. Daniel also briefly coached the offensive line for the Falcons in 2000.

Winning Super Bowls with the Steelers

In 2004, James Daniel joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. He became their tight ends coach. He helped develop another great tight end, Heath Miller. Under Daniel's coaching, Miller became an amazing all-around player. He set new team records for catches, touchdowns, and yards for a tight end.

Most importantly, Daniel was part of the Steelers teams that won two Super Bowl championships. They won Super Bowl XL in 2005 and Super Bowl XLIII in 2008. These are the biggest games in American football.

Life Outside of Football

James Daniel is married to his wife, Myrtis. They do not have any children.