Jayden Daniels reveals which legendary athlete influences his mindset as a quarterback, and it's not who you would think it is

It wasn't Tom Brady, Steve Young, or any other all-time great quarterback in the NFL's history that Daniels called his goat, but instead one legend who made his mindset a legit phrase that became famous. Bryant was a five-time NBA champion with two-time NBA Finals MVPs, and an 18-time NBA All-Star who changed the game forever by how he played.

Daniels grew up in Southern California as a Lakers fan and grew up watching Bryant separate himself from others by how he approached sports with his mind. A young Daniels took notice, and it's stuck with him throughout his career as an athlete. He was asked what Kobe Bryant meant to him on Wednesday, and his response explained it all.

“That's the greatest," Daniels said. "My favorite player, but the greatest of all-time, in my opinion. My favorite athlete, I wouldn't say player. Just his embodiment of the work, and as I got older, the mentality, and he was fearless, never flinched in those big moments. So, you see it time and time again. You see why he was so successful and why he won five championships.”

The mental aspect of playing quarterback isn't talked about enough. Reading defenses, processing everything in seconds, making the difficult decisions to make the right play, all of it makes the quarterback position the hardest in any sport. Daniels also went on to add how he really takes what he saw from Bryant's mindset, and how he applies it to his own game, which was very apparent in his rookie season, with how fearless and precise he was.

“I’d say you just go out there and like I said, fearless," Daniels added. "You don't blink when times get tough or in adversity. I don't think I’ve seen anybody rupture an Achilles and walk off the court and shoot two free throws. So, he was built different man, and he obviously meant a lot in my household to me growing up as a Laker fan, as a Southern California kid. So, I try to pick up some things, but in those moments, he never flinched; the moment was never too big because he knew what he did at practice. He knew how he prepared, and he wasn't going to mess with anybody who didn't prepare work as hard as him.”

Those are strong words, and really give you insight into how Daniels thinks, and where that all came from. Daniels has said that his football IQ is the most underrated part of his game, and it needs to be talked about more. You never know where someone might get their influence from, but it's special to hear about it, and then see someone who is a rising star like Daniels live that mindset out on and off the field..