Greetings

Greetings D.W. Daniel High School,

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This letter is not just a message; it’s a confession. It is a psalm to the place that raised, shaped, and gave me roots. It is a thank-you to the lights that lit over the field and the people who filled the stands, week after week, year after year. Daniel High School athletics was not just a part of my life; it was life.

 

Since the 90s, those Friday nights have been my soundtrack. I remember sitting in the backseat, my grandmother driving, and my cousins piled in beside me. The road to the old high school felt like a pilgrimage. Parking on the shoulder of the back road, stepping out into the crisp fall air, the glow of the stadium lights breaking through the trees, those nights were holy.

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The band’s drums would rumble in the distance, the crowd's voices rising like a wave. The players broke through the banner, the cheers erupting as if the entire world had been waiting for this moment. I remember the smell of the concession stand, pizza, popcorn, Gatorade. The feel of that $5 Shannon Preston always handed me at halftime, knowing it was enough to grab a slice and a drink. The pizza box felt warm in my hands as I sat on the sideline, tossing the football with my friends until the players came back out to warm up. It was not just football but ritual and family.

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My uncle, Anthony “Bull” Durham, was my first coach before I knew I would have one. A two-sport state champion, he taught me everything I needed about the game. His stories about his teammates were not just memories; they were legends. He talked about mythical figures, such as Javis Austin, Shawn Young, Courtney McMullen, Anthony White, JJ Johnson, Jerald Hagood, Marq Cerqua, and more. To us kids, they were superheroes; I’ll never forget the first time I saw Javis Austin at the store. My words caught in my throat, and he felt larger than life; it was like seeing your favorite celebrity athlete in the flesh. Years later, it all came full circle when Javis became my coach. The stories became lessons, and his stories became lessons to guide my life. 

 

From 2002 to 2005, I was a part of Daniel's football team as the Ballboy; the game got closer. I traveled with the team, sat on the bus with offensive players I idolized, and shared pre-game meals at Ryan’s Steakhouse, eating a steak, baked potatoes, and rolls that felt like a feast. I remember wanting to be a running back like Chris McIntosh, carefully drying the ball for quarterback Jerome Williams and knowing that Robert Crooks Jr. was going block every field goal kicked like it was given. Those were the days when my whole world fit on that field, and in that stadium, Coach Allen Sitterle was my first exemplar of a high school football head coach. Now, it was my turn; on the same field I ran on as a Ballboy, I now stand on as a player. I now look up at the same stands where my grandmother still sat precisely where I saw her as a kid, the Ballboy, always wearing her blue and gold. 

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In 2012, Daniel High School will get a new stadium, and scoring the first touchdown in the new stadium and hearing the band play our fight song was not just a moment; it was a lifetime. Every step I took on that field, I carried with me the weight of the past, the pride of the present, and the dreams of the future. Daniel athletics is not only about the players but also about the people, moments, and legacy. For 50 years, D.W. Daniel High School has been more than a school; it's been a heartbeat, a sanctuary, and a home for many people in the community. The players were not just athletes; they were our heroes, role models, neighbors, and, most importantly, family. The stands were not just seats; they were a gathering place, a testament to the love and pride that bound us, Clemson, Central and Six Mile together.

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Sincerely,

Jaquial D. Durham,

Founder of the non-profit organization For The Love of Community, Inc.