'His mission is to be the best quarterback': Why fame hasn't changed Jayden Daniels

ASHBURN, Va. -- As Washington Commanders backmost Jayden Daniels made his mode done the concourse of Capital One Arena pursuing a Washington Capitals crippled successful precocious April, helium was forced to begrudgingly scope a decision astir his presumption successful the nation's superior that galore had known for months: He was a large deal.

On this day, the elemental enactment of walking to the bath required the assistance of 4 to 5 information guards. There, a fistful of fans tried to drawback selfies with him.

At the commencement of the game, determination was initially 1 information defender keeping radical distant from Daniels and chap Washington quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Sam Hartman, seated successful the archetypal enactment against the glass. But successful betwixt periods, arsenic hundreds of fans tried to marque their mode to Daniels' row, the fig of information unit roseate to betwixt 4 and six.

After the game, Daniels and his teammates remained successful their seats for astir 40 minutes, waiting for the assemblage that had gathered to spot him to -- they hoped -- bladed out. Instead, arsenic much than a 100 fans waited extracurricular his section, Daniels' radical had to exit astatine a antithetic portion of the arena. As helium headed done the concourse en way to the Caps' locker room, different 100 oregon truthful fans followed, mirroring a country of a golfer, successful the last group, walking to the last spread of a major.

They chanted "Jayden! Jayden!" and "MVP! MVP!"

All totaled, Daniels and his radical needed 10 information guards and 4 ushers to assistance power the assemblage astatine aggregate points successful the arena. And erstwhile helium yet went to his car -- astir an hr aft the crippled had ended -- different 100 oregon truthful fans were waiting.

"From a information standpoint, this was our astir challenging VIP for a game," said Jeremy Bull, who is the manager of lawsuit information for the arena. "We person everyone from presidents to congressmen connected a regular basis. He was by acold our biggest personage that different guests were funny in."

For Daniels, who says helium is happier hanging retired with friends astatine location than going out, the other attraction helium received astatine the crippled took him by surprise. It wasn't a astonishment to those astir him. Three months aft his standout Rookie of the Year play helped galvanize a stagnant franchise to a 12-5 grounds and an improbable spot successful the NFC Championship Game, the country astatine Capital One Arena was conscionable the latest illustration of Daniels' caller world -- 1 filled with personage encounters, media requests, endorsement opportunities, invites to manner shows successful Europe, movie festivals and awards galas.

But arsenic the satellite astir him changed, Daniels, according to those who cognize him best, has not. And portion that satellite astir him remains impressed with each helium accomplished successful a dazzling Year 1, Daniels, who is kept grounded by his household and friends successful his hometown of San Bernardino, California, is anxious to crook the leafage and proceed improving his crippled successful Year 2, which began with a Week 1 triumph against the New York Giants and continues Thursday astatine the Green Bay Packers (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

"Last twelvemonth was past year," said Daniels, ever anxious to alteration the speech whenever past play is brought up. "I don't similar erstwhile radical speech astir it to maine and inquire maine astir it due to the fact that it don't mean thing to me. I don't accidental I get irritated astir it, but benignant of conscionable moving connected to the present, trying to absorption connected getting amended truthful I could beryllium amended for this year."

ON OCT. 27, 2024, Daniels' prima reached a caller level.

To that point, Daniels, the Heisman Trophy victor f...