Damian Daniels constant force for the Columbus Lions

In the 10 seasons the Columbus Lions have been a franchise in indoor football, only one player has played for the team in its first season as well as its current season.

Veteran defensive back Damian Daniels has been a force to be reckoned with locally ever since his high school playing days as a Shaw High Raider.

After playing collegiately for West Georgia, Daniels returned home to Columbus, where he caught the attention of Lions coach Jason Gibson at a tryout prior to the Lions’ inaugural season in 2007.

“Actually, one of my high school teammates, Troy Bergeron, had played for the Wardogs. He was trying to get me to come to them, but I still had college eligibility. Once that didn’t work out and the Wardogs had folded, I saw the Lions were coming and saw this was my chance,” Daniels said.

One other thing caught Gibson’s eye, however. Despite the pure athleticism he possessed, the fact remained the diminutive Daniels stood just 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds.

“I’ve always one of the smallest guys on the field, but that’s why I play with a chip on my shoulder,” Daniels said. “Even Coach Gibson said things my second year, so I came in with a chip on my shoulder and having something to prove all over.”

Despite his frame, Daniels enjoyed immediate success on the indoor football scene. He was named league Defensive Player of the Year four out of his first five seasons: in 2007 in the World Indoor Football League; in 2009 in the American Indoor Football Association; and in 2010 and 2011 in the Southern Indoor Football League. He was a defensive leader for the Lions’ SIFL championship team in 2010, leading the team in interceptions. He has earned the name “Nighthawk” from the Lions staff for his ability to sniff out opposing teams’ passes.

“I definitely think that nickname fits my game. I’m kind of a ball hawk back there, and teams say I come out of nowhere,” Daniels said. “I definitely think it fits.”

After the 2011 season, however, the SIFL disbanded. The Lions joined several other teams in the newly created Professional Indoor Football League in 2012. A new league meant a new direction for the Lions, and surprisingly, Daniels wouldn’t be a part of it.

Down Highway 520, the Albany Panthers came onto the scene in 2010 and were highly successful in their first two seasons, becoming the Lions’ chief rival and winning the SIFL title in 2011. With the Panthers making the move to the PIFL as well in 2012, the team was looking to keep a championship caliber team in the new league. With Daniels available and just a 90-minute drive away, it was a no-brainer. Daniels traded Columbus silver and blue for Albany purple and black.

“It was a very tough decision, especially to leave my hometown,” Daniels said. “As the years went by, it was a decision I had to make at that point. I think it made me a better player. I think I was able to add some things to my game (in Albany).”

Daniels brought home the PIFL’s inaugural Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012, helping the Panthers to their second straight championship. In 2013, however, Albany entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, falling to the Alabama Hammers in the first round.

Meanwhile, back home, the Lions weren’t having the same success they had enjoyed their first five seasons. Columbus started its stint in the PIFL with a combined 10-15 record in the first two seasons, including a 4-8 record in 2013, the first and only season in franchise history the team failed to reach the playoffs.

It was time for Daniels to come home.

The Lions pulled out all the stops, hosting a red carpet affair to announce Daniels’ return to the Lions secondary.

“It was huge for me,” Daniels said. “I enjoyed coming back. For the ownership to go all out like that and welcome me back home with open arms, it was a blessing.”

Daniels returned to the Lions in 2014 with a huge milestone well within reach. He started the season just one interception behind Kenny McIntyre for the all-time record in indoor football. Daniels had 97 interceptions, one behind McIntyre’s career total of 98. He recorded a pick in the first game of the season and would then get two more in the following game, not only giving him the record but putting him at an even 100. He currently has 106.

“That was one of the main reasons I wanted to come back (to Columbus),” Daniels said. “I even told Coach Davis (Albany head coach Lucious Davis) straight up that I want to break the record at home. He definitely understood where I was coming from. I felt it was right, that I owed the fans and my family and the city of Columbus that to do it where it all started. It’s an honor to have that record now.”

Now a 10-year pro and three-time champion after the Lions’ PIFL title last year, Daniels is giving back to the sport and city that has given him so much. He has helped out as the defensive coordinator for Brookstone’s football program and has also led area youth in camps and one-on-one training, passing his vast knowledge and experience to the next generation.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Daniels said. “I feel like that’s part of my responsibility to give back. I’ve dedicated so much of my life to football, I feel it’s only right to pass it down to the next generation. I always felt like ‘what if I knew back then what I know now?’ That’s a huge reason for me to want to give back and give kids that insight.”

Daniels and the Lions face the Central Florida Jaguars on Saturday night in Lakeland, Fla., with a 7:05 p.m. kickoff. Following a bye week, the Lions return home to face the Atlanta Vultures at the Columbus Civic Center April 9 at 7 p.m. Columbus opened the season last weekend with an 86-0 victory over the Georgia Firebirds.

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 6:35 PM with the headline "Damian Daniels constant force for the Columbus Lions."