Legendary sportscaster Ed Daniels is remembered by his peers as a legend in his profession. Rummel High School athletic director Jay Ross said Daniels made people proud. “He would get up at 2 o’clock on a Friday night to cover high school, then get up early in the morning to cover radio. He would cover college, go to Baton Rouge, drive back, cover the Saints, get on a plane. That was Ed,” Ross said. A graduate of Rummel High School and Loyola University, Daniels loved all sports, but is best known for putting the spotlight on high school football with his Friday Night Football show, which ran for more than 30 years. “He treated high school the same as the Saints, Louisiana State and Tulane. Again, we all have our specialties, but Ed was definitely Mr. Prep,” said WDSU athletic director Fletcher McKell. Jerry Phillips is the football coach at Warren Easton High School. Phillips said it was an honor to have Daniels cover his team because Daniels knew Phillips from their school days. “I was one of the players of the week, so I got interviewed. We always kept in touch. We got on well with each other and had a really good relationship,” Phillips said. Phillips looked forward to watching Daniels’ show because he appreciated the feedback and got to see how other teams performed. “If Mr. Daniels doesn’t attend high school football, something’s not right,” Phillips said. Daniels was serious about his profession, but friends said he had a light-hearted personality. “He was self-deprecating and had a great sense of humor,” McKell said. “He would always call me and say, ‘Jay, what do you think about this team? What about the bowling team? Come on, Ed, go bowl,'” Ross said. Following the news of his passing, tributes from major sports teams, colleges and high schools have flooded social media. He is remembered as a hard worker, but those who knew him well also remember him as a man who loved his family and his faith. “It was great to see him and his wife enjoying a bit of European travel in his later years. Ed and I talked more about travel than sports,” Ross said. The sports world said his death was a great loss but would honour a man who meant so much to so many people. “A great person, a great husband, a great friend and a great athlete for New Orleans,” Ross said.
New Orleans —
Legendary sportscaster Ed Daniels is remembered by his peers as a legend of his profession.
Rummel High School athletic director Jay Roth said Daniels made people proud to know him.
“He’d stay up until 2 a.m. on a Friday night covering a prep show, then get up early the next morning to do a radio show. He’d cover college, go to Baton Rouge, drive back and cover the Saints, get on a plane. That was Ed,” Ross said.
A graduate of Rummel High School and Loyola University, he loved all sports but is credited with bringing the spotlight to high school football with his Friday Night Football show, which ran for more than 30 years.
“He handled high school the same way he handled the Saints, Louisiana State and Tulane. Again, we all have our specialties, but Ed was definitely Mr. High School,” WDSU athletic director Fletcher McKell said.
Jerry Phillips is the head football coach at Warren Easton High School, and Daniels said it would be an honor to have Daniels coach his team, having known Phillips since their days as students.
“I was interviewed as one of the scholarship athletes of the week and we’ve always kept in contact. We just clicked with each other and had a really good relationship,” Phillips said.
Phillips said he appreciated the feedback and was looking forward to watching Daniels’ show so he could see how other teams performed.
“It would seem like something is wrong if Mr. Daniels doesn’t participate in high school football going forward,” Phillips said.
Although Daniels was serious professionally, friends said he had an easy-going personality.
“He was a self-deprecating guy with an incredible sense of humor,” McKell said.
“He would call me all the time and say, ‘Hey Jay, what do you think about this team? By the way, how’s the bowling team? Come on, Ed, go bowl,'” Ross said.
Tributes from major sports teams, universities and high schools have flooded social media since news of his death. He is remembered as a hard worker, but those who knew him best also remember him as someone who loved his family and his faith.
“It was wonderful to see him and his wife enjoy little trips to Europe in his later years, and Ed and I talked more about travel than sports,” Ross said.
The sports community said his death was a great loss but that they would honour a man who was important to so many people.
“Great man, great husband, great friend and great New Orleans athlete,” Ross said.
