USF's Daniels To Focus Solely On Football

USF sophomore quarterback B.J. Daniels announced on Wednesday that he will no longer compete for the Bulls basketball team.

“This was a tough decision, but one I needed to make in order to lead our football team to a championship,” said Daniels.

Daniels announced his decision to his teammates following the team meeting with Tony Dungy on Monday.

“I’m just a sophomore, but I feel like it is my responsibility to be a leader and help set the tone for the team,” said Daniels. “I just felt like this was the right time to make my full commitment to football. We have championship goals and we can’t waste any time.”

Daniels is coming off a redshirt-freshman season on the football field where he piled up 1,983 yards passing, 14 passing touchdowns, 772 rushing yards and nine rushing scores. He helped lead the Bulls to an 8-5 record and resounding win in the 2010 International Bowl.

“It is admirable that B.J. would make this decision,” said USF offensive coordinator Mike Canales. “He’s making the best decision for the team and football program. He understands that he needs to be a leader on and off the field all year long and I know he ready to go to work this offseason, in both in the film room and during workouts.”

On the basketball court, the Tallahassee native played in 19 games during the 2008-09 season and averaged 0.5 points and 0.4 rebounds in a reserve role.

One of the main reasons Daniels chose USF was the opportunity to play both basketball and football at the BIG EAST level.

“B.J. came and spoke with me and we had a good conversation,” said USF men’s basketball head coach Stan Heath. “I totally support his decision, especially during this time, to show leadership and be a part of the football program, and we will keep that window open for the future and see how things go.”

Photo Courtesy of USF Athletics Communications