A vigil was held for Southern Miss football player MJ Daniels at George County High School after he was killed earlier this week. Daniel's cousin McKinnley Jackson (second from left) and his mother Adrian Jackson (center) came together with family and friends to commemorate his life on Friday night. Photo by: Andrew Abadie, Copyright 2024, Emmerich Newspapers Inc.
LUCEDALE – MJ Daniels will be remembered more than just as a football player, but rather for his infectious personality and smile.
That sentiment was echoed by hundreds that came together to remember his life at a vigil held at George County's football stadium on Friday night after he was tragically killed in a shooting earlier this week.
His personality leaked over to the various communities he was a part of as his playing career spanned from George County High School to Ole Miss and Southern Miss. The illustration of that was best shown with the crowd holding countless balloons that featured each school's respective colors.
"MJ liked a big crowd, and he always had a smile on his face," his mother, Adrian Jackson, told the crowd. "We know that he touched so many lives. I appreciate all the kind words and everything that y'all have sent and prayers. I feel them and keep them coming."
As his high school highlight tape played on the stadium's video board, the crowd released balloons at once to commemorate his life.
"He would be so proud," said Godmother Alice Knight. "It's sad that he can't see this. I think he would have a precious smile on his face.
"Everything he did, he put his best into it. He never gave up, and he was always hard on himself because he wanted to be the best at everything."
Yet his success on the field could not match the impact he made on the people around him, which his cousin and former high school teammate McKinnley Jackson put into perspective.
"Everybody has a different story about MJ, but I'm pretty sure it's the same," said Jackson, who was recently drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. "He was just full of life, and everybody loved his company. Everybody loved to be around him. I'm going to miss him.
"Why take someone full of life from me and from us? I still question it. It's hard to shake that. That was my little brother. I love him to death. All I'm going to do is play for him. I'm looking up at him every time I'm on the field. Every time I'm going to play, I'm going to be looking at the sky."
That personality trait is something that former high school teammate Trent Howell always noticed and cherished since they were as young as five years old.
"From the time we were little kids, we started playing ball together when we were five or six years old," Howell said. "When we were younger, my dad coached us. I remember one specific time he was getting on MJ for something, and MJ couldn't do anything but smile and laugh. It turned into my daddy getting on to him for smiling and laughing. I've always remembered that and laugh about it every time I think of it."
That's why shock and disbelief at the 21-year-old's death have yet to set in for his loved ones.
"I keep waking up every morning hoping that it's not true," George County High School coach James Ray said. "I've got to wake up because stuff like this is not supposed to happen - not to people like MJ.
"It took a couple of days for reality to set in. Nights like this really make it sink in."
Ray learned from his son, Fisher, who is an assistant coach at Ole Miss that a team meeting was held in honor of Daniels despite the fact he left the school to transfer to USM.
"They had a team meeting the other day, and players that were with MJ when he was a player there got up and spoke about MJ, so from one end of the state to the other, he has made an impact," Ray said. "I know they had the same thing at Southern Miss. I know their players shared their stories about MJ, too.
"They don't' make them like MJ. He had that ability to draw you in and make you feel comfortable to where you can just open up with him."
Daniels' family will hold a visitation from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, at the George County High School Gymnasium, with a funeral service to follow. His family will then lay Daniels to rest in the Merrill Cemetery.
Follow @AndrewAbadie on Twitter and Facebook for Southern Miss coverage.
Copyright 2024 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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