Stanford Quarterback Ashton Daniels talks about growing up in Georgia and now leading the Cardinal

I'm Roy Lee Lindsay with the North Carolina Port Council and I want everyone to remember bacon makes everything [Music] better hey folks David Glenn back here with the North Carolina sports network coming at you from the 2024 ACC kickoff event as always brought to you by our friends at the North Carolina por Council our next guest was a high school superstar in the state of Georgia a three-time state champion with Buford High School as the starting quarterback there and he was also the three-time title game MVP Ashton Daniels is now the starting quarterback for the Stanford Cardinal he was that last year remember when they were in the Pack 12 now they are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference he has a really cool family background that we'll get to as well Mom and Dad were both athletes Ashton Daniels welcome to the David Glenn show Welcome to the North Carolina sports network and welcome to the ACC young man how are you I'm good how are you good I'm doing really well and excited to learn more about you as a great athlete and also your wonderful University uh before we even get into football the Summer Olympic Games were almost here and out of I think there there's like a thousand plus member universities in the NCAA organization at all divisions Stanford University your school has it's like 50 plus athletes if you count former Cardinal athletes current former uh Cardinal athletes and incoming Cardinal athletes and I know if you add coaches the number keeps going up um what is do you have tunnel vision for football or is there time in your world to appreciate that broader Excellence that we just described yeah absolutely absolutely I I think there there is a a big you know um area of respect that I have for for all these other sports um that are at Stanford as much as you know I have free time I I try to go and watch the these other teams compete um I I love to watch them volleyball um both men's and women's basketball um lacrosse everything softball baseball um everything that I can go and show my support to um I try to because you know the these people are outstanding um you know they're they're just like us and um I mean there there's a reason why they're so great there's a reason why we have so many national champions there's a reason why we have so many Olympians and that's just because the culture and the Excellence of Stanford is great and everybody knows that and you know people want to come to Stanford to be great with that in mind Buford Georgia is roughly 2500 miles from Palo Alto California where this young man goes to school how would you summarize the list of things that motivated you I don't know your scholarship offer list but I'm sure you had a lot of opportunities closer to home how many things were on that list were that made you ultimately land on the decision Stanford is the place for me yeah I I mean I I think it's just one one big thing and that's the name Stanford um you know you go all around the world and you mention Stanford you ask people about Stanford and every single person knows what Stanford is I mean it's just a outstanding University that's World known um best academics you know best Athletics um we win the director's cup um all that kind of stuff you know so just the the notability of Stanford um all the honors you know the awards the former um alumni that that played at Stanford Christian mcaffrey Andrew Luck John Elway all these big time guys um you know I I kind of wanted to to to model my my career based off of those guys especially Andrew Luck you know he's always around the facility um all that kind of stuff when I went out on my official visit I got to meet him um so you know just surrounding yourself with greatness and knowing that you're surrounding yourself with greatness every single day um is one of the main reasons that I chose Stanford because I know that it's going to help me um Excel both on and off the field this is Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels joining us here on the North Carolina sports network now you're young You're athletic you have all sorts of energy but there's actual science behind things like jet lag for example so just give us an answer just coming here for ACC kickoff do does your body feel that kind of thing and do you guys have plans maybe the coaches worry about this more than the athletes but but are there plans for super sized planes where you can like sleep in some kind of chamber or whatever because if it impacts winning and losing one thing I know is that athletic directors and coaches worry about it for sure yeah um you know coming here it was a little difficult to get some sleep last night just because you know we're on a three-hour time difference um and also you know that it's a pretty long plane ride but you know we we have experience with that last year we went to Hawaii for the first game of the season um and then my freshman year we we traveled out to South Bend for for the Notre Dame game um and I think it's more of you know getting there a day early and and you know being able to practice and and kind of um just work work everything out all the soreness in your muscles um you know make your body feel right and also just like mentally locking in um to the task ahead of you um is what helped us during you know those games that we had to travel a really long time and I think you know I expect nothing less from from the guys this year have we representing the ACC I've been covering this league longer than you've been alive which might not surprise you because of the color of my hair have we gotten things as a group collectively right in terms of saying for example Cardinal instead of cardinals Palo Al you you got a good vibe so far for sure for sure absolutely as long as as long as people are giving us the Cardinal with no s at the end I'm good with this so with that in mind another phrase you mentioned this worldwide recognition for Stanford we do for example because a UVA or UNC are often high in the director's Cup standings that you mentioned for those who don't know uh Ashton school not every year but feels like almost every year finishes number one in the director's cup uh sometimes they're second or third but they're that good a phrase that we know that I'm not sure I could Define maybe you can help us we always hear the farm right now I honestly I actually know some of the history right there were there were horses or animals roaming is the farm the whole Stanford University setting is it more specific to sports or how does that work yeah um it it is the whole university setting um there used to be a farm of course where where campus is now so I think that's where it kind of got its nickname and then um you know I I feel like the sports teams have kind of just taken off and ran with it um come to the farm has been the the big thing you know come make a difference at the farm um and then on top of that our our secondary mascot is is our tree so um you know that also kind of plays a part in it as well it is not unusual for college athletes to experience head coaching changes I was lucky enough to interview the original head coach David Shaw an amazing guy that was at least part of your decision to originally play for the Cardinal a lot of folks in the modern era especially we all know about the rise of the transfer portal many of your teammates opted into the portal when there was a coaching change change what were the biggest factors motivating you to see through the Stanford part of your story yeah I mean obviously I wanted to give um whoever I guess we didn't know who our coach was at the time so so you know I I wanted to um you know give our coach a chance you know come in um I wanted to you know see what he was like um what he was about and as soon as he he walked in on that first day and and introduced his stealth um I knew immediately that I wanted to stay um and also on top of that um it's not just who the coach is it's the program as well um I knew that that it was going to take a lot for me to leave Stanford um you know just because it it's so amazing um you know both on and off the field academics um and Athletics and I knew that that it would be pretty hard to to just you know give up a a Stanford degree that easily um and just give up being a part of you know the Stanford football program that easily so that was something I didn't want to do um so so I was patient waited it out and I'm excited to things are headed now the original salt Works has become a legendary breakfast brunch and lunch place in Wilmington for both locals and outof town visitors over the last 50 plus years our good friend Bob hubard owns the place but he's also the one cooking your food and often roaming the dining room to greet you with a smile and to make sure your visit is a great one Bob has been running the show at this unique Roadside Diner for more than 20 years now and he is friendly hardwork working staff aim to treat you like one of their own Tri Bob's homemade omelets were special recipe grits for breakfast or his legendary cheeseburgers for lunch the original salt Works your breakfast and lunch choice on o Ander Drive in Wilmington this is Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels there was one week last year where his performance from the quarterback position was rated number one in the entire nation I don't even remember which game you probably remember which game it was can you tell me uh Colorado okay yeah Deion Sanders and and and that whole family were the victims of the guy to my right uh he truly was rated I think it was Pro Football Focus and a bunch of others made him the quarterback of the week nationally I have heard you've gotten into golf now is that playing a lot of golf do do you like watch the majors are you that into golf and and as a Georgia guy did you grow up at least following the Masters or other things tell us about this Evolution Beyond football yeah absolutely I think uh after my my junior season um in high school when I committed to Stanford um you know of course Tiger Woods is the number one um athlete that that everybody knows about um my friends kind of had started getting into golf at the time I wasn't too big into it um but then I started to play and I just found a love for the game um you know all of my best friends um back at at at Stanford play um and we try to get out there and play as much as possible um on the weekends you know when there's no football or other sports going on we'll always you know turn the tournaments on especially um all the majors um just watched the open that that finished up last week so um yeah I mean golf is is amazing um and and I found a pretty big love for it during my off time have you been to the Masters in Augusta Georgia not too crazy far from bu Buford Georgia I haven't I I wish so my parents um aren't too big in a golf so you know never really had the opportunity to to go down there but you know um now that someday yeah now that that I have a lot of connections um you know in the golf world and all that kind of stuff hopefully I'll be making a trip down there soon you're hard to dislike guy but you're going to make me dislike you with your answer to this next question so when I was your age I played baseball and you would know as even as a new to golf guy it is not good to have a baseball swing in your golf swing so it's still limiting me in my 50s you're going to tell me that as a great athlete you already shoot good numbers already aren't don't you I'm I'm I'm doing better um I'm getting better so this summer my goal is always uh to to break 90 and I did that a couple times shot uh 87 89 a couple times but I'm typically like a a 90 on the Dot Low 90s guy so um I mean I've been only really been playing since uh senior year of high school and um like you mentioned I grew up playing baseball so you know I kind of had that baseball swing also played um lacrosse from like fifth to fifth grade to up until junior year so you know kind of have that that that swing uh Motion in it as well um but you know I I've come to find my swing a little bit and it's starting to get a lot more fun I feel better about that answer because I I'm a a high 80s low 90s golfer after trying a conversion you have many more years to grow your game so I don't think you're going to stay there let's let's brag about Mom and Dad a little bit um Mom played volleyball at Georgia dad played football at Georgia just give us a sense of of how they have shaped you as a Young Man uh but also at some age you know they probably started the ball rolling when it came to sports yeah um you know they they've always been there uh to encourage me in every single thing that I do um they're my safety blanket um you know they they support me like no other they sacrificed so many things for me and I couldn't be more grateful for them um but you know they know what it's like to be successful D1 athletes and they continue to pour that knowledge into me every single day um and I think that that really really helps me out um helps me to be a better person not only on the field but off the field as well um you know being able to manage school and and sports at the same time um and they mean the world to me um they continue to amaze me with everything they do and they're amazing so are you allowed to have like some rooting interest for the Georgia Bulldogs when you're not rooting for the Stanford Cardinal because it's one thing to have a mom and dad who both went to a school they both wore the colors and were athletes for the Bulldogs yeah I mean I of course I I always you know grew up a Die Hard Georgia fan um and always have cheered for Georgia no matter what although I'm out here at Stanford you know if they're in the the college football playoffs or the national championship I always have a little piece of me that that's rooting for them but um you know it's it's a great program um my dad played with Kirby Smart um you know and all these like notable guys so you know it's been amazing to to watch them um grow on but but also you know coming out here and setting my my own path and my own Journey um has been extremely important for me you mentioned your new coach and we're still getting to know him a little bit Troy Taylor um all I know is that he had some really funl looking offenses at the FCS level prior to last year was coach Taylor's first year with the Stanford Cardinal first year with our guest Ashton Daniels um I imagine if you're the QB like it doesn't hurt I don't know if you can find video was it Sacramento State where he was did you like start digging into State video and say what's up with this yeah absolutely so um you know he he was hired um as our head coach we heard the news and you know before we could even sit down for offensive meetings I was in there um all of all of the Sacramento State offense you know was linked into to our um film accounts so um you know diving into their offense and what they did uh what they did all their explosives the trick plays um you know all the all the cool kind of stuff that that coach Taylor um you know has come up with and in the past um has been amazing I also watched um his last game at Sacramento State against Incarnate Word which was an absolute shootout um and it was like 3:00 a.m. my time because I was on the East Coast but um you know just watching that game I I knew I was going to fall in love with his offense um and I knew it was going to be a lot of fun playing for him you have the cool Stanford pin I don't know if You' get in trouble for this but there's a lot of Carolina blue theme to your uh to your overall outfit you are looking Dapper um but I wonder as we again like 25 200 miles away we know what Stanford Cal is it's not like we're on a different planet we do you growing up in Buford Georgia may impact this but did you have a sense of the Atlantic Coast Conference do you have a sense of you know Duke Carolina and basketball and and the other such things that make our part of the college sports world famous the way Cal Stanford and other things makes you guys famous yeah absolutely you know being um from Georgia the the two main conferences I grew up watching were the SEC and the ACCC so um you know I'm extremely familiar with all of the rivalries in in both conferences um I'm extremely familiar you know with the the the traditions and the culture of the ACC um you know the notability of all these amazing teams um and we're you know excited to finally be in a new conference play some new faces um and you know there's going to be a lot of new challenges for us that are on the table and we're excited for it as we let you go besides the brilliant wellth thought out question questions that you've received from us today uh have you gotten some really good ones some creative ones in the rest of your car wash travels here yeah I have you know it's been cool um you know having this opportunity um you know as a junior um coming here and you know being exposed to to the media for the really the first time and you know answering all these questions um I think it's really cool because it not only allows me to talk about me but it talk allows me to talk about my teammates as well um I think one of the the coolest questions I got um today was um someone asking me an extremely underrated player on our team that I think is going to have a breakout season and you know that allows me to you know shout our guys out so go ahead go ahead uh it was Zack Ral uh defensive lineman for us number 97 um that is cool yeah he he's going to have an outstanding season and you know I think it's great that that they give us the ability to shout our teammates out um you know kind of get them a little bit of of media exposure um so people are looking out for him this season did we get brownie points for you for Mom and Dad in case they check out this video 100% I know they're probably watching right now they they made the drive up um and yeah they hung out with me last night um saw me this morning and then um you know made the drive back to to Georgia so I'm they're probably watching right now as uh as they're on the way back so last thing for our Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels I saw on one of your social media accounts and correct me if I get the terminology wrong the summer Scamper patient Heroes so so you and I know a lot of your teammates invest in the community um and you were trying to publicize this event tell us what that was about and why it's important to you to use your platform Beyond obviously being a great athlete yeah absolutely so um lifetime Cardinal who who set this opportunity um up for us is our nil Collective um at Stanford and they do an outstanding job you know giving us these these Outreach opportunities as well as community service um opportunities um to go out and support all of the these you know um people that that support us and that look up to us and you know one of the big um things around Stanford is our children's hospital um and that's what the summer Scamper was about um you know they they love watching us you know and and you can tell when we go and see them and you know show love to them it it it you know their face lights up um and it's just amazing to see that that we're making an impact on these young kids' lives um and you know me having the platform that I have um I'm going to do everything that I can to you know support and raise awareness for these kinds of things as we let you go humble Us by telling us the names of some of the classes that you have at Stanford that like you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy uh I what's your major for starter so I'm doing uh STS which is science technology and Society with u uh concentration and Innovation and organization I might survive the I might survive the society part of that um but but actually you seem versatile enough that if depending on where football and a athlete stuff goes you could be a broadcaster in sports if if you but you said science and technology so you probably have some classes that would make our heads hurt yeah I mean we also you know I I always have you know that that love for communication and media that's also um a little bit of a part of of you know my major and that a goal of mine is always to uh uh to be a broadcaster um you know whether it be ESPN ACC and anything you know just the ability to go and watch these games as well as talk about it you know to millions of people at home and you know being on TV and all that kind of stuff I I really you know look up to the people that do that and and that's something that I would love to do in my future that's cool well take it from somebody who's done it for 36 years you're off to a good start thank you I appreciate and the Stanford degree isn't going to hurt his name is Ashton Daniels watch him this fall for the Stanford Cardinal thanks for joining us on the North Carolina sports network abely thank you guys so much [Music] check che che [Music] la [Music]