by Ken Hornack
During a challenging and sometimes difficult period for the Bethune-Cookman football program, the Wildcats could count on running back Kelvin Daniels to provide a lift.
Two decades later, the Daytona Beach native is back home and intent on devoting his skills in a different arena to those in need of assistance.
Daniels learned in April that he had passed the Florida bar exam, which he took in late February after deciding to change careers. Although he can't open an office until the state officially issues him a license, one field of specialization has already grabbed his attention.
“I really want to get in on immigration law,” said Daniels, who remains the only player in Wildcat history to lead the team in rushing, receiving and scoring in the same year (1993). “I think the immigration area is going to sustain itself.”
While at B-CU, Daniels majored in political science and had every intention of going to law school. But he pursued a career in pro football, and when that never materialized, he went to work for Delta Air Lines. He was based out of Atlanta for nine years but also spent five years working at Daytona Beach International Airport.
As fulfilling as that line of work was, it gnawed at Daniels that he never achieved any of the goals he had set for himself.
“I had my epiphany moment, and I figured I needed to do something different,” he said.
Daniels, now 41, was one of the stars in perhaps the Wildcats' most pleasant surprise in recent memory. The 1992 team went into the Florida Classic at Tampa Stadium with only a 3-7 record and wasn't given much of a chance against archrival Florida A&M. But with the help of a 21-point second quarter that included a touchdown run by Daniels on a third-down draw play, B-CU pulled off a 35-21 upset of the Rattlers.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak to FAMU and was one of just two victories during a 13-year stretch in the series.
“We hadn't beaten them in a few years,” Daniels said. “So that was a great feeling. And the school was jubilant. Now that we're beating them on a consistent basis, it's not as rewarding. Back in the day, they had a much better program.”
That game also marked the final appearance of quarterback J.D. Hall in a Wildcat uniform. Hall finished his career as the school's all-time leader in passing attempts and completions. He went on to become an assistant coach at three different colleges and spent three years as a high-school coach in his native Jacksonville, Florida before dying in June 2007 of a heart attack at the age of 35.
“Man, I miss J.D. Hall so much,” Daniels said. “I really loved that guy. That was a great leader and a great quarterback.”
After playing for local legend Bud Asher at Father Lopez High School, Daniels was coveted by schools much larger than B-CU. He turned down Syracuse, saying “I just thought it was too cold and I wouldn't have wanted to go to New York during that juncture.” But an even more recognizable program wanted him as well: Alabama.
The Crimson Tide made a verbal agreement with him, but all that changed after they lost to Auburn and then in the Sugar Bowl to Miami that led to the firing of head coach Bill Curry.
“I never heard from them again,” Daniels said. “Tommy Bowden was actually my recruiter, and I didn't hear from him anymore. So then I ended up going to Bethune, which I have no regrets over. I had a great time.”
Daniels rushed for 732 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1993 while also catching 39 passes for 397 yards and four more TDs. Although that never served as a springboard to the NFL, he looks back upon how his career ended with fondness and some good-natured humor.
“I couldn't hold that against Bethune,” he said. “That was me. I wasn't fast enough.”
As the father of a 10-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter, Daniels hopes the issuing of his state-issued license to practice law isn't a slow-moving process.
“I've got work to do,” he said. “I've got to take care of them. I've got college to pay for. So I'm looking for an area that would probably be beneficial for me to help pay off these bills and also keep people coming through the door.”
