January 26, 2012
People always tell me how lucky I am to have this job. I get to watch games for a living — it's all fun and games, right?
Not all the time.
Thursday was one of those rough days, when you have to report on a tragedy. It's never fun to interview people in mourning because you feel like you're intruding into their lives during an emotional time. They would prefer to see only family and friends, not a reporter.
Fortunately, most people I've dealt with understand the job I have to do, as well as my mission. My goal this morning wasn't just to write a story that a Buford teacher/coach died of a heart attack, it was to let people know about Ryan Daniel's life, and all the good things he did in his 30 years on earth. I think that's why Buford head football coach Jess Simpson and others took the time to sit down and talk with me about Daniel, a guy who was praised greatly by numerous folks on Thursday. The relationships I've formed with Buford people over my 15 years at the paper hopefully gave them the confidence to speak with me as well.
I'm old enough that I covered Ryan Daniel in high school football and baseball. I remember his athletic ability, both as a power hitter and as a powerful lineman. His senior class laid the foundation for the Wolves' current success, and his coaches will tell you he was the leader of that group.
Daniel was playing an early-morning basketball game at Buford High School when he died Thursday. Attempts to revive him with CPR and with a defibrillator weren't successful. It's a horrible loss for countless reasons, but it stings particularly badly because of what kind of person Daniel was.
Born and raised in Buford, Daniel left his hometown briefly to play football at Catawba College (N.C.), but returned almost immediately. Nobody loved Buford more and he relished his countless jobs — like coaching three sports (including middle school basketball), working with special education students and supervising the football team's managers. He was properly described as a servant, a guy who did anything you asked him to do without asking for anything in return. If a job needed to be done, he'd take care of it.
It was my honor to write something about a guy like that. It's not a story I wanted to write, but Ryan Daniel deserved a fitting tribute.
If anyone has any Ryan Daniel stories or nice things to share about him, feel free to post a comment below. We'd love to hear them.
Comments
Brandon Brigman 1 year, 3 months ago
RD meant a lot to the Buford community. He was a high school coach and teacher, but he also had an impact with younger kids. He was idolized by the middle school kids he coached and he also spent his mornings reading to a Kindergarten class. Whenever I went to the Buford field house he greeted me with his big smile and a handshake. He will be greatly missed.
CB3 1 year, 3 months ago
Ryan Daniel was a very dear friend of mine and like you said in the post, he would do anything for anybody and had a BIG…..BIG heart which is sad because even though his physical heart is what failed him this morning his heart is what most people will remember him by. He had a great smile and he showed it often. He had a great competitive fire in his belly and the kids that he coached and people (like me) who were honored to get to play with him saw it. He just didn’t talk about it….he WAS about it. But speaking of talk R.D. had some good talk in him as he was always giving out positive hard working messages and most of the time they were quick witted and they made complete sense. I am a part of the “Early Risers Club” that plays basketball up at Buford and we’ve been doing this for many years now but it will never be the same without RD out there running with us. He would give it his all and dive on the floor for the ball and that is one of the MANY reasons I loved RD. It pains me to think that I’ll never see his smiling face again (at least not in this world) but I will be high-fiving him in Heaven one day. I love you RD and you have left a tremendous legacy at Buford and the true measure of a man is how he effects the life of others in a positive way and I’m not sure you can even count that high because you RD touched so many lives and I can personally say that my life was better……..knowing that you were in it! Sink them hips and drive ‘em off the ball one last time RD!!!! I love you man and I will miss you dearly!!!
TreyChandler 1 year, 3 months ago
I transferred to Buford my freshman year in high school and didn't know a soul there. The summer before school began I remember meeting Ryan in the weight room and he immediately took me in as though I'd been at Buford since kindergarten. Ryan, coach Hunnicutt and I would spend a couple days a week that summer behind the field house running through blocking drills in the summer heat. Ryan always had something he could critique me on whether it was footwork, angle, or just learning plays. Without a doubt I wouldn't have had the success I had at Buford without a guy like Ryan taking time to work with a freshman transfer that nobody knew. He was the core of the '99 senior class which laid the foundation for much of the success Buford football enjoys today. Every time I went by the school he was always smiling and could immediately make you laugh no matter how bad your day was. It kills me to think I won't see him up there anymore but I know he's in a better place and just like he was when I got to Buford, I'm sure he'll be the same welcoming guy ready to make me laugh when I see him in heaven. You'll be missed RD!!
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