‘He touched so many people’: Family of slain college football player reflects on his life

LUCEDALE, Miss. (WDAM/Gray News) – A Mississippi family is remembering their son who died in a shooting Tuesday evening.

The living room at the Jackson house is filling up with memories of their son, Marcus Daniels Jr., after the University of Southern Mississippi football player was shot and killed in Hattiesburg.

Jerseys, photographs, and autographed game memorabilia line the couch as the family goes through “MJ’s” mementos.

“It’s ‘MJ Daniels,’ and it is to: ‘My mom,’” Adrian Jackson, Daniels’ mother said. “He always gave us gloves after the game. There are so many people who have gloves from MJ.”

Jackson said the gestures mirrored her son’s personality.

“He was more than just that beautiful smile that everybody saw,” she said. “He was a person who would have given you the shirt off his back.”

The family of the 21-year-old is still numb days after his death.

“We haven’t had peace,” Jackson said. “There’s no amount of sleep you can get to take this pain away. You can’t walk away from it. You can’t run away from this pain. You just have to take it. Minute by minute, not even day by day, but minute by minute.”

News of the killing was especially difficult in the George County community, where Daniels starred in basketball, baseball and football.

“He was big brother,” Jackson said. “He was a teammate. He was a classmate. He was a best friend. He was a cousin. And, in George County, he was a legend.”

The former four-star recruit took his skills on the gridiron to the University of Mississippi for two years.

Daniels transferred to USM last year.

Teammates called him an unbelievable friend and coaches said his smile lit up the room.

“No matter where he was on that field, we would always see MJ,” Jackson said. “He’d find that camera. And when he found that camera, he’d do a dance or put his thumbs up, or he would smile.”

Family members were leaning on their faith and kind words and stories from people Daniels met along the way.

“You know how they say you put on this earth for a reason?” Jackson said. “MJ, he had many reasons. He touched so many people in just the 21 years he was here.”

Jackson picked up her son’s car Thursday. A bullet hole is still in one of the windows.

Three teens have been charged with capital murder in connection to Daniels’ death.

The family says they just wish they could have him back.

“I just hope they realize what they’ve done, but justice right now, honestly, is just a word to me right now,” Jackson said. “It’s just a word.”

While loved ones wait for answers in the investigation, they’re getting ready to celebrate the life of a forever Golden Eagle.

Jackson pointed to Daniels’ USM jersey and said, “This will be the one he will be buried in. Southern Miss was very fortunate to let us have that one.”

Daniels’ family said they take pride in knowing he’ll be remembered both on and off the field and know he’s looking down on them from above.

“If I could just talk to him one more time, I would continue to tell him, ‘Baby, I am proud of you and to take your rest,’” she said. “‘We’ve got it from here.’”

Services for Daniels were announced by the family on Friday with his funeral service scheduled for June 22.

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