George County football will honor former great through his jersey number this season

The George County football team will be bringing an extra man on the field this season in the form of a legacy.

The Rebels are honoring the life of former standout Marcus “MJ” Daniels by handing out his jersey to a select athlete each season.

Daniels was heading into his senior season at Southern Miss when he was killed in a Hattiesburg shooting in June at the age of 21. As the Lucedale community mourned his loss, it became imperative to GCHS head coach James Ray to honor Daniels this season, and he had conversations with Daniels’ family about how to do so.

He considered retiring his jersey number, but decided to go a different route. One inspired by Chucky Mullins and the famed No. 38 at Ole Miss — where Daniels began his college career. They would save his No. 11 for a special individual each season and forever enshrine Daniels’ name at the school.

“MJ’s legacy is going to live on 20 years from now” Ray told the Sun Herald at GCHS’ jamboree game against St. Martin. “Some coach is going to give that jersey away and talk about MJ and that’s what MJ’s legacy needs to do, that somebody talks about him every year.”

Senior standout Brenn Moody earned the right put on the 11 jersey this season. Moody is an athletic, multi-position star for the Rebels who has attracted attention from Division I college coaches.

But it was also the person that Moody is off the field that left him the winner of a team-wide vote to don the 11 in the tradition’s inaugural season.

“Brenn is an incredible athlete, which MJ was,” Ray said. “Brenn never has a bad day, which MJ never had. Brenn’s always the guy that kind of lightens the mood, keeps everybody off edge, which MJ was that, too. Just a great character guy and a great player.”

For Moody it’s a special honor to be revered by his teammates as someone who exemplifies the attitude Daniels brought to the program.

“It means everything because MJ is a very special person that we all love,” Moody said. “He made a big impact in this community and George County. ... It means a lot because MJ was such a great person to this world. I’m honored to wear his number.”

Daniels’ far-reaching impact

Daniels graduated from GCHS following the 2020 season. He had an illustrious high school career that saw him earn a spot on the Mississippi-Alabama All Star game roster and become a highly-touted recruit.

Daniels played both sides of the field and was a steady force in every game.

“Words can’t express (Daniels’ impact), the things that he did on the field against a very tough competitive group,” Ray said. “We were in that league with Brandon and Meridian and Petal and Pearl. Every week we counted on MJ to be his best and he was that. Football was there and just the type of person he was every day in life. Teacher’s loved him, students loved him. He was just that guy all the time.”

But Daniels’ impact didn’t leave with him. He never played with the current crop of Rebels who make up the present day team. But if you talk to the players, you’d think Daniels was in the weight room and on the practice field with them.

And it’s because he was.

“None of these guys actually played with him,” Ray said. “That’s just a testament to MJ, too, he was always around. He’d show up after working out with Ole Miss or Southern Miss for all that spring stuff and he’d show during the summer and make them go out there and work with him.”

Daniels didn’t just work out with the team, he developed relationships that started when some of today’s seniors were still in middle school.

Moody himself wasn’t even in high school yet when Daniels took him under his wing.

“When I first met MJ, I was going into my 8th-grade year thinking I knew everything,” Moody said. “MJ pulled me in as one of his own and taught me the ways of being a ball player, having positive energy, leadership and everything. I’m just very thankful he came into my life when he did because I really needed him.”

When the Rebels take the field this season with heavy and high expectations, so many will do so with memories of Daniels that run much deeper than any typical former athlete’s would.

“He was like a brother, a best friend type of relationship,” senior linebacker TJ Love said. “Not even blood kin, but he always felt like he was my older brother that I could look up to. Always motivating me, always telling me to get better, get stronger, working out with me. He was just a great guy... You couldn’t see MJ without a smile on his face.”

George County prepared for its season with a 20-7 jamboree win over St. Martin. Five-star quarterback and Notre Dame commit Deuce Knight scored three touchdowns, one of them going to Moody on a deep seam route.

The Rebels are coming off their best season in 15 years and are returning the bulk of their production. There’s no expectation short of winning the final game and there’s more motivation than ever to reach that goal.

“I know MJ would want this for us, going all the way and winning state for him,” Moody said. “That’s what we’re going to do for him this year.”

“We’re going to play for him and go as far as we can for him and his whole family,” Love said.

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