On Thursday at Temple’s fieldhouse, quarterback Bane signed with Trinity Valley Community College of Athens and outside linebacker Daniels committed to NCAA Division III Hardin-Simmons University of Abilene.
“We’re very proud of these young men,” Temple coach Bryce Monsen said. “Their stories are not done.”
While Daniels played two varsity seasons and made two playoff trips with the Wildcats after his family moved from Florida to Temple, Bane played in just two games as a varsity Wildcat following his 2007 transfer from Rogers.
A disagreement with then-Rogers head football coach and athletic director John Stillwell regarding the treatment of Eagles players prompted Bane to leave Rogers for Temple in October 2007. However, the University Interscholastic League ruled that Bane was not eligible for varsity athletics for a full year.
Bane instead quarterbacked Temple’s junior varsity team and didn’t make his varsity debut until the final regular-season game of his senior year, throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter of the Wildcats’ 42-14 home win over Killeen Shoemaker.
Bane passed for 24 yards and ran in a two-point conversion in Temple’s 40-14 first-round playoff loss to DeSoto.
But after receiving a shot to join a Trinity Valley program that his older brother Jacob played for, Bane was thankful and appreciative that Temple gave him an opportunity.
“It means a lot, because coming in here I did not expect to get to play college football,” Bane said. “I had to be really patient. At times I thought about calling it quits, but once I got to talk to Coach Monsen and Coach (Bob) McQueen they encouraged me to stick with it and it’s paid off in the end.
“It was really good how they took me in and the way they accepted me here.”
Bane, who has a strong throwing arm to go with his 6-3, 180-pound frame, passed Temple’s 7-on-7 team to a tie for ninth place at the 64-team state tournament.
He said he participated in Trinity Valley’s skills combine in December and went back about a month ago, then impressed the Cardinals’ coaches enough in 7-on-7 drills for them to extend an offer.
“It’s a real friendly environment there and they’re known for sending players on (to higher levels of college),” Bane said, adding that his dream is to play at Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Daniels - a first-team All-District 12-5A defender - turned his disruptive ways coming off the edge into his own opportunity to play college ball.
“D.J. came to us wound up and full of energy, and he’s been a great player for us,” Monsen said.
Daniels said he likes everything Hardin-Simmons has to offer, from the Cowboys’ winning tradition under longtime coach Jimmie Keeling to HSU’s small enrollment.
“I’m glad they’re giving me an opportunity to play there,” said Daniels, who helped the Wildcats post an 11-2 district record the last two seasons. “The school is not real big, so I think I can get a better education there, and they have a lot of tradition.”
Daniels said he expects to play outside linebacker for the Cowboys, the American Southwest Conference’s dominant program until Mary Hardin-Baylor overtook them in recent seasons.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
