Picking Doug Daniels to lead the 1951 team was one of hundreds of great player decisions made by PRC Sports Hall of Fame coach Dobie Holden. Daniels, the 1950 halfback and defensive back was chosen to play the quarterback position in 1951. The '51 team went on to post a 9-1 record, losing only to Jones 13-6 in the last game of the year for the state championship.

The 1951 team held school records for the seventh best record (9-1); 10th best in scoring (27.9 per game); third best defense (allowing only 40 points in 10 games); and most shutouts during a season (6). The 1952 team also posted six shutouts.

Daniels played his first full season of football as a 15-year-old junior at Poplarville High. Playing halfback and linebacker, his team did not surrender a score during the first eight games of the season.

The 1948 Hornets scored 354 points that year. Daniels led the team with 91 points. The defense gave up a total of 31 points. After Daniels' senior year, he was named Poplarville's most outstanding athlete.

As a 17-year-old PRC freshman in 1950, Daniels started the year as an offensive halfback. He was moved to the regular defensive safety position after the fifth game for the remainder of the year.

Daniels led the team as a freshman with six interceptions. He handled all of the PAT chores and returned punts. In 1951 Daniels passed for four touchdowns against East Mississippi and 61 yards to Averace Burge in the Perk game. Both stats are in the PRCC records.

He was named to the All-State team as quarterback for his outstanding play.  In that time, there were only eleven total players picked. Later, offensive and defensive all state teams were named. He also received the PRC outstanding athlete award and the H.H. Holcomb award — an honor he also picked up in high school.

Daniels was recruited by Tulane University, the University of Southern Mississippi and Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He chose Southeastern over USM because the SLU coach said he would give his friend a scholarship and they could room together.

Daniels alternated at quarterback, halfback and safety.  Southeastern won the Gulf States Conference co-championship both years he played at SLU.

Daniels joined the service after getting a mathematics degree. In 1956 he returned to Poplarville to take over as head coach of the Poplarville Hornets. He was head coach until 1966, when he became an academic counselor.

He has a master's and triple-A certification in both school guidance/counseling and administration from USM.

He and his wife Phyllis, a PRCC instructor, have three children.