Broncos tight end and Naperville Central alumnus Owen Daniels to play in Super Bowl 50
Back in the spring of 2014, Owen Daniels had the opportunity to shop his wares around the league as a free agent for the first time.
While looking at opportunities with the Packers, Redskins and Patriots, the belief of the man who first brought him into the league with the Texans – Gary Kubiak – shone through with the Ravens.
“(I) had been in contact with Coach Kubiak kind of the whole time during free agency,” Daniels said in Nov. 2014, “and I think they were deciding what they wanted to do with their personnel and he was pushing for me, pulling for me, however you want to say it.”
Kubiak, the Ravens’ offensive coordinator in 2014, helped spark Daniels to a rebirth, courtesy of 48 receptions for 527 yards and four TDs.
Upon Kubiak leaving the Ravens to become the Broncos’ head coach and facing free agency once again, Daniels decided to go along for the ride by agreeing to a three-year deal with the Broncos in March 2015.
Kubiak’s faith in Daniels paid the ultimate dividend on Sunday as Daniels accounted for both of the Broncos’ TDs in their 20-18 victory over the Patriots.
Daniels, a 2001 Naperville Central alumnus, will become the first Redskin or Redhawk alumnus to play in a Super Bowl when the Broncos meet the Panthers on Feb. 7 in Super Bowl 50.
Daniels’ appearance comes six years after Sean Payton, a 1982 Naperville Central alumnus, coached the Saints to a victory in Super Bowl XLIV over Peyton Manning and the Colts.
In the regular season, Daniels caught 46 passes for 517 yards and three TDs as both Manning and Brock Osweiler saw time under center for the Broncos.
His two first-half TDs receptions on Sunday against the Patriots – a 21-yard TD in the first quarter and a 12-yard TD in the second quarter – were Manning’s first touchdown passes since Nov. 8.
Daniels caught all three touchdown passes that Manning, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer, threw in Denver all year.
Elected to Naperville Central’s Athletic Hall of Fame in Jan. 2015, Daniels quarterbacked the Redhawks to their first football state title in 1999.
Daniels threw 16 touchdowns with just one interception during a junior campaign in 1999 that saw Naperville Central go 14-0 and rout Schaumburg, 56-31, in the Class 6A state title game.
Editor’s Note: From our research, Owen Daniels will be the first Napervillian to play in a Super Bowl. 1982 Naperville Central Alumnus, Sean Payton, coached the Saints to a victory in Super Bowl XLIV.