Matt Daniels facts for kids
| Minnesota Vikings | |||||
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| Position: | Special teams coordinator | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | September 27, 1989 Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 211 lb (96 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Fayette County (Fayetteville, Georgia) |
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| College: | Duke (2008–2011) | ||||
| Undrafted: | 2012 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| As coach: | |||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Matthew Daniels (born September 27, 1989) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. This is a team in the National Football League (NFL). Daniels used to play as a safety in the NFL.
He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils. Later, the St. Louis Rams signed him in 2012.
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College Football Journey
Matt Daniels played college football for the Duke University Blue Devils. He started playing in 2008 as a freshman. That year, he played in 10 games. He made 22 tackles, caught one interception, and recovered one fumble.
In 2009, as a sophomore, he was chosen for the Academic All-ACC team. He started all 12 games. He was third on his team with 83 tackles. He also helped break up six passes and caused three fumbles.
His junior year in 2010, he was again an Academic All-ACC choice. He started all 12 games. He had 93 tackles, seven pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. He also caught one interception.
In his senior year, 2011, Daniels was named a Second-team All-American. He finished that season with 126 tackles. When he graduated from Duke, he held school records for tackles, forced fumbles, and pass breakups.
Playing in the NFL
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+3⁄4 in (1.82 m) |
212 lb (96 kg) |
4.48 s | 1.50 s | 2.55 s | 4.31 s | 6.90 s | 35+1⁄2 in (0.90 m) |
10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) |
15 reps | |||
| These are measurements from the NFL combine | ||||||||||||
St. Louis Rams Team
In 2012, the St. Louis Rams signed Matt Daniels. He joined them as an undrafted free agent. This means he was not chosen in the NFL draft but was signed later. He stayed with the Rams until August 2014. He was briefly on their practice squad in September 2014.
Jacksonville Jaguars Team
Daniels then joined the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad in October 2014. He was moved to their main team in December. He left the Jaguars in September 2015 due to an injury.
San Diego Chargers Team
On November 4, 2015, the San Diego Chargers signed Daniels to their practice squad. Later, on December 28, 2015, the Chargers moved him to their main 53-man roster.
Coaching Career Begins
After his playing career, Matt Daniels started coaching.
In 2017, he worked as a graduate assistant coach for the Colorado team. He helped coach their defense.
Los Angeles Rams Coaching
On February 26, 2018, the Los Angeles Rams hired Daniels. He became their assistant special teams coach. He had played for the Rams before, under the special teams coordinator at that time, John Fassel.
Dallas Cowboys Coaching
After the 2019 season, Daniels moved to the Dallas Cowboys. He worked there as an assistant special teams coach for two seasons.
Minnesota Vikings Coaching
In 2022, Matt Daniels joined the Minnesota Vikings. He became their special teams coordinator. He still holds this position today.
