Columbian grad Daniel 'absolute beast' for Raiders

Frazier Daniel has taken on Ohio Athletic Conference defensive linemen and some adversity in his time at Mount Union. But neither have stood much of a chance against the Columbian graduate. Daniel was a starter for Purple Raiders two years ago when the team traveled to Tiffin to take on Heidelberg. The Raiders beat HU and went on to win the Division III national title that year. Mount Union coach Vince Kehres said Daniel was only getting better in the summer of 2018 as he prepared for his junior season. "He was our best offensive lineman through two weeks of camp," Kehres said. But during a scrimmage, Daniel had what Kehres called as "freak accident" and broke his ankle. "We found out pretty quick it'd be a season-ending injury," Kehres said. So Daniel was sidelined. But he remained a part of the team. "It was interesting, for sure, but I had a lot of support from my teammates," Daniel said. "I had surgery back in August of last year, and the team was really supportive. I still went to all the games, and I went to practices and stuff with them. And then, throughout the springtime they really helped me to get back in the swing of things. Because of that, I was able to come back in the fall and re-compete to try to get my position back." And that's what happened. "He really put it together through spring," Kehres said, "and was playing at a high level again." Now, Daniel returns to Tiffin Saturday with the No. 2 team in the country to play Heidelberg. Daniel has cemented himself as the team's left guard, and a top Division III lineman. But that's not a surprise to the men who recruited him. "Anytime you're recruiting, you're looking at more than you see on the videotape," Kehres said. "(Frazier was) a 4.0 student with a lot of accomplishments off the field. He has excellent character and is a great person. We felt like not only was he a good offensive lineman, but he had the potential to get better. He showed us he had a high level of passion." Heidelberg coach Scott Donaldson said he tried to get the TC grad for his program. "I remember recruiting a really upstanding, mature man," Donaldson said. "He is an absolute beast on the football field." And off the field, the nominations are piling up. Daniel was nominated for the 2019 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year award. Players in all levels of college football who have overcome injury and illness and other challenges are nominated, and at the end of the season, three of the nominees will be chosen as winners. The winners will be recognized at a ceremony during the College Football Playoffs Semifinal in Arizona. Daniel also has been selected as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. To be nominated for that, a player must have a high GPA and contribute on and off the field. Each team nominates one player. And from listening to Kehres, Daniel is a perfect fit. "Our offensive line in general is our most experienced unit on the team, and Frazier's a big part of that," he said. "You've gotta have cohesiveness in that unit, and he does a great job of helping our young guys in there. Big part of our success so far." Daniel said he takes his responsibility as a senior leader seriously, and appreciated the nominations. "Those both meant a lot to me, but I mean, it is really a thing of, when you've been playing for so long, you do kind of take that leadership role," he said. "We have two captains on the O-line, and then me and another guy on the O-line are seniors. So, off the field, I'm really trying to do the best I can in the classroom, and I've been able to maintain a high GPA, and I've been able to perform well in all my classes, and I think, because of that, the young guys have a lot of respect for guys who they can look at and see are doing things right." And Daniel, and the Raiders, are doing plenty right. They are 6-0, and their lowest margin of victory came in a 37-14 win over John Carroll Sept. 28. In the last three weeks, in victories over Otterbein, Wilmington and Capital, Mount Union has outscored opponents 187-6. "Our O-line unit has been performing really well," Daniel said. "We've been working really well together, and obviously, we have one of the top scoring offenses in Division III football now, and a lot of the credit for that goes to (quarterback) D'Angelo (Fulford) and (wide receiver) Justin Hill, but everything's really been coming together, our offense has a lot of cohesion." Donaldson said Daniel is playing great football right now. "Easily one of the best, if not the best, offensive linemen in this conference," he said. Daniel said he's looking forward to Saturday's game with the 5-1 Student Princes. "It's really exciting. I've been looking forward to it ever since we (played) two years ago," he said. "Two years ago I was a sophomore, it was my first year as a starter. I was nervous, more than anything, coming back. But this year, I've been looking forward to it. It's going to be a really exciting game." Daniel said he still keeps up with Columbian's football program, where his brother Robert is a starting receiver. "I've been really trying to keep an eye on what they're doing," he said. "I was able to go out to one of the first games, and then I got too see their game in Ashland, because that's not too far away from here (Alliance). And there's actually a good chance I'll be able to catch some of the game (tonight) when we come into town." It'll be a special homecoming for a special player.