Jayden Daniels has been in the midst of an awe-inspiring, reputation-ruining run for the last week after it went public that he’d sent a legal threat to LSU over the use of the No. 5, which he wore while winning the Heisman Trophy for the Tigers.
The Washington Commanders quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner is engaged in a dispute with his former school over sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett wearing his former jersey number. Not only is Daniels upset, but his lawyer has also sent the school a formal cease-and-desist letter demanding that they stop using his name, image, and likeness.
Social media has had a field day with all of this, including pro sports teams pointing out all the ways they didn’t score 5 points because they didn’t want to run afoul of Daniels.
The media critiques haven’t been kind either, as ESPN’s Paul Finebaum excoriated the Commanders quarterback, saying, “I’ve rarely, if ever, seen a dumber, more senseless move,” and warning him to never return to Baton Rouge.
SiriusXM host Adam Schein joined in the fun during a recent episode of his Mad Dog Radio show, saying that Daniels is effectively dead to LSU and its fans now.
“There is no one in sports right now who is more moronic than Jayden Daniels,” Schein said, via On3. “Jayden Daniels and his team, they have absolutely embarrassed themselves. I have never seen anything quite like this. Jayden Daniels sends a cease-and-desist letter to LSU. Doesn’t want his name, image, [and] likeness being used because they are issuing his uniform No. 5 to DJ Pickett. Wait, what? Amateur hour.
“First of all, if I was running college football, I’d do a lot of things. But no uniform should be retired. You want to put a player in a ring of honor? Great, you do you. However you want to do it. I mean, think about all the players in college history, college football history; you can’t retire uniform numbers. That’s number one. Number two, you’re not Joe Burrow … And I love Jayden Daniels in college. I love him as a pro. You’re not even close to Joe Burrow. You’re not even in the ballpark of Joe Burrow. That LSU offense was the best offense in the history of college football. So what are we even talking about here?”
Schein pondered why Daniels would mess with his own reputation among LSU faithful and thinks that bridge has been burned for good.
“Also, you are a god at LSU,” Schein continued. “Why would you take your standing where you are and take all the fans, the current coaches, administration, the alum, everyone who was ever a student when you were there, and urinate on them? That’s what transpired. Why would you piss away all the great will you earned? You’re now dead to LSU.”
It seems like there’s a little bit of a rush to judgment on how this will all shake out for Daniels. If he’s smart, he’ll hire a crisis PR firm that will figure out how to position him for an apology and playful response to all of the memes. Time heals all wounds, and if the Heisman winner stands down and keeps his nose clean for a while, it’s likely that he’ll be welcomed back to Baton Rouge eventually. People have done far worse and still received a hero’s welcome from their alma mater.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.