Growing up in a family football dynasty, the improbable star has risen to ‘Captain America’ status for the undefeated Black Knights.
During the week, Darrell Daily can be found trimming and carving slabs of brisket at Kelly’s Hill Country BBQ. Two 1,000-pound smokers flank a black trailer parked along Ranch Road 12 in Wimberley, Texas, slow-cooking a variety of meats that sell out daily without the benefit of a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Army is 9–0 and in contention for both the American Athletic Conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth. Bryson is a fringe Heisman Trophy candidate, the prime weapon in a blunt-force option offense that leads the nation in rushing. It’s all highly improbable—the Black Knights have their highest AP ranking since 1962 , and Daily has risen from two-star prospect to being heralded as “Captain America” by some in the media.
Darrell was a fullback and linebacker when he played for his dad, Carroll. In turn, he became the winningest coach in Abernathy history—in large part thanks to his son. Bryson was a four-sport kid who started at quarterback for four years, leading the Abernathy Antelopes to the Class 2-A state semifinals as a freshman—kicking the winning field goal in the round of 16, naturally.
The 6' 0", 221-pounder is not piling up that yardage with the spectacular athleticism of some elite running quarterbacks. You will not watch him play and think of Lamar Jackson, Vince Young or Cam Newton. But he does have a couple of vital attributes: a knowledge of when and where to run behind a hard-nosed line, and a resolute refusal to be easily tackled.
Army’s ninth and most recent victory was a testament to that. Bryson ran the ball a staggering 36 times—the most by any FBS player this season—for 153 yards and both of the Black Knights’ touchdowns in a 14–3 win over the North Texas Mean Green. The hallmark of that game was one of the most Army drives ever—a 21-play, 94-yard grind that took nearly a full quarter off the clock. Daily ran the ball on 12 of those 21 plays. By the end, North Texas had had enough of tackling him.
“Just me and my dad sitting there,” Bryson says. “That was brutal. That’s a game you come here to play.”
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