Travis Daniels reflects on his Chiefs tenure and life after the NFL

I’d love to go back a bit even before you were in the NFL. We’re in this offseason time with a ton of guys trying to make the Chiefs and other teams around the NFL in OTAs. Do you remember the feeling during that time between the draft and making the team and how these guys might be feeling now?

Growing up in the neighborhood where I did in Hollywood, Florida, there were a lot of guys who sold drugs and went to jail and all of that. When I was younger, I was always really advanced in sports. I remember times when we’d be on the basketball court and guys would say, “I wish I’d never sold drugs. I could have potentially been in a completely different situation in life.” From me hearing that, I was always the person who thought, “I don’t have to go through every situation to learn the lesson from it. Some things I can learn from others.”

My whole thing has always been about completing the process. So for me to finish high school was a major thing for me. Then for me to receive a college scholarship, I made sure that I saw that process all the way through. If the NFL comes from that, it would be amazing as well, but if not, that’s okay too because I actually gave myself a chance. For me, when I finished at LSU, if I made it or didn’t in the NFL didn’t matter a whole lot. I’d done everything in my power to make it there. If it doesn’t happen, it just meant that it wasn’t for me and God would have me do something different.

A lot of guys, I’ll hear them say, “I fell in the draft” or something like that, but no one owes you anything. I don’t know where you get this thought in your head that you’re supposed to be the first pick or fifth pick or whatever. You go where you’re supposed to go. No one owes you anything. Fortunately, I was lucky and blessed to be drafted by my hometown team and that was huge and I really enjoyed it.

Having this thought process has even helped me transition out of the NFL. I know guys get out of the NFL and they lose their identity. That mentality has made things a lot easier for myself.

So you’ve seen a lot of guys struggle to even know what to do after their playing days?

Yeah, a lot. I’ve had conversations with guys who even talk about suicide set-ups. It all stems from not being able to see yourself in the right way. I try to tell them not to let what you do dictate who you are or how you see yourself. I’m Travis Daniels. That’s it. Football is what I do or photography is what I do. Those things don’t necessarily make me. In life, you have to be able to adjust to any situation. It’s just like playing sports. The offense could be driving the ball down and then they throw an interception. You don’t put your head down. You just have to go back out and move forward and get the best possible outcome.

If you were to reflect back upon your career, is it possible to come away with one memory that you’re most proud of? Or a moment that stands out more than others?

Well, I remember one of my first moments that I was like, “Wow, I’m really in the NFL.” It was my rookie year with the Miami Dolphins. We were playing against the Patriots. I used to come out early on the field to catch punts and things like that. I remember coming through the tunnel approaching the field and I heard a voice saying, “Travis! Travis!” I looked back and it was Brady. I’m thinking in my mind, “Man, did Brady just call my name? Does he even know who I am?” [Laughs] I went over there and we shook hands. He just said, “Good job this season and good luck today.” It was that kind of set-up. I was like, “Wow, I cannot believe that just happened.”

Do you consider him to be the best quarterback you ever faced?

He’s definitely one of the best. It’s hard to give him the best I ever played against. He’s a great quarterback and to win that many Super Bowls is incredible, but the one quarterback who kept me on my toes the most was Peyton Manning. The reason is because Peyton would do a lot of checking and talking at the line, so you never knew if he’s changing the plays or not. He really reads the keys against him that you’ve been studying the whole week. Peyton Manning was the more difficult to go against in that sense, but Brady is always going to be really accurate when he throws the ball, so you can’t sleep on him.

But as a defensive back, everything you’re doing film-wise is formation recognition, understanding the routes the players like to run off of these looks. When you have a quarterback who is talking so much, it changes your mindset. “Do I read the key that I’ve been researching all week?” He kept you really honest.