On Saturday, Heisman trophy winner Jayden Daniels was welcomed back home during a parade and stadium celebration at his alma mater, Cajon High School.
Daniels is now considered a San Bernardino legend by many.
Despite the pouring rain, hundreds of people lined up along Northpark Avenue to celebrate ‘That Kid Jayden’ and his accomplishments on the gridiron.
Jay Jones was one of the people who braved the rain to see Daniels.
"I’ve followed him all the way to Cajon, Arizona State and then LSU. So, I gotta support the hometown kid man," he said.
Elected officials enshrined Daniels with awards and a key to the city, while the school district gifted him a special letterman’s jacket. They later announced that Cajon High School’s football stadium is now named in his honor.
Daniels, who passed for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns en route to winning college’s most prestigious award, said he was left speechless.
"I love everybody from San Bernardino, I’m proud to be from San Bernardino," he told the crowd inside the stadium. "And that’s all I gotta say. Thank you."
The quarterback started his amateur football career at Cajon and led the Cowboys to the 2017 CIF Division 4 championship. He went on to attend Arizona State University where he played for three seasons before transferring to LSU in 2022.
It was in Baton Rouge where Daniels excelled on his way to the Heisman trophy. He is only the third player in LSU’s history to win the award. He joins Joe Burrow, current quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Billy Cannon in that special category.
Praise for Daniels also came from former school teachers, coaches and current NFL football stars like Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison, who was once a standout athlete at San Bernardino High School.
"You’re living the dream…one chapter at a time now, but it wasn’t without the hard work and dedication to both life on the field and off the field," he told Daniels on stage.
Daniels said last month that he will enter the NFL Draft.
