Daniel Bethel has kicked his way to a scholarship with Ole Miss
Senior moments in 2020
DANIEL BETHEL
This year, Bethel committed to play for the University of Mississippi, joining Richie Noe and other Mavericks who have played in the SEC.
“I’m not sure what I’m going to study,” said Bethel. “It’s either between some sort of business or sports analytics.”
When asked what originally drove him to start kicking, Bethel said he just sort of lucked into discovering he was good at it.
“I played football in middle school, but really didn’t kick that much,” he said. “I just did a few kickoffs, but wasn’t very serious about it. I didn’t pick up kicking really until freshman year. My brother, Caleb Bethel, kicked for Anderson County his senior year, so my dad took us out to the field one day and said, ‘Let’s see if he’s any good at it.’ Turns out I was, and my brother’s really pushed me to work hard at it.”
Bethel said the biggest difference this year was being online for classes.
“I know that was a big difference, at least for me,” he said. “You didn’t get all that you usually get on gameday Fridays, with everyone being at school and enjoying the camaraderie with your fellow students. That was a big difference for me. Then there was having to come in at fourth block and you get to school and only really see football players during football season. They advised all the starters to stay online so we didn’t get contact traced, so I didn’t really go back until football season was over.”
When asked whether there was anything that COVID-19 really kept him from doing his senior year, Bethel said he was a lucky one.
“Mainly, I was just hoping to play, and I got to do that.”
He said his favorite part of the year was senior night at Anderson County and getting to build the relationship with the younger kickers and help build the program, to leave the Mavericks with a good special-teams program when he’s gone.
“No one really does it like AC,” he said. “Being able to do that with all the guys was really a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Just getting to enjoy it with them and do the senior dinner and stuff, it was awesome. Then, I was always in the weight room with the younger kickers trying to help them in the next few years without me being in there, so I was teaching them everything I know. It was an unforgettable experience. I just wanted to help out the program, because I don’t want to just leave the school with nothing on the special teams next year.”
Bethel also had specific advice for those younger kickers, and all the younger players who will be starting for AC in the years to come.
“Work to be the best you can be,” he said. “Always set your goals high. No matter what anyone tells you, you can do anything you want. I know plenty of people that told me playing in the SEC or Division 1 was a big goal, and very few people ever get to do it. Very few people do that, but very few people are willing to put in the work it takes. Just put in the work for something you love and go be the best you can be at it.
“I’d say one thing I’d always recommend to people is make relationships and build bonds with everyone you can,” Bethel said.
“Whether those relationships are just your classmate or the kid that lives in your neighborhood, just make relationships. Even just in life, that’s a huge part of it, and for me it’s always been a super enjoyable thing to have someone to talk to or hang out with. Have people you look up to, whether that be someone super famous or just one of the seniors two classes above your or something. Just have those people and strong mentors in your life. Having those mentors and someone to strive to be like is always helpful.”
Bethel said his own mentors have been Thomas Morstead, the kicker for the New Orleans Saints, and his father and grandfather.
“I’ve had some different mentors through my life,” he said. “Thomas Morstead is my mentor in a kicking sense. In a life aspect, I look up to my dad a whole lot as well as my papaw. He was a great inspiration to my life and a great inspiration for how to live my life as humble and generous and act as a leader to those around me.
“I do like kicking camps, and I get to watch Morstead when he’s there doing demos. He kind of just punts and I always just thought he’s a great person socially from what I’ve seen of him personally and on social media. He’s a standup guy who knows how to handle himself on and off the field and do his job the best he can.”
Bethel also said he’s had mentors in his teachers.
“Mr. Hall is definitely one of my favorites,” he said. “Mrs. Ramsey, a teacher at Farragut my sophomore year, was a really fun teacher and related to the kids really well. She was very enjoyable and we actually still keep in touch.”
Bethel said he hopes to be a four-year starter at Ole Miss, and like so many high school football players, he dreams of playing in the NFL.
“I’d say right now, my goal is just really focusing on getting there this summer and working as hard as possible,” he said. “I’m wanting to build that relationship, and my goal is to start freshman year and start all four years. Past that, it’s definitely a huge dream of mine to train for the league and see if I have the talent to get in. But right now it’s focusing on those shorter term goals and being the best that I can be.”
When asked if there was anyone in particular that he wanted to thank from Anderson County, Bethel said he wanted to thank all of the school for their kindness.
“I would say individually all my teammates and teachers,” he said. “All their generosity, especially in the face of me coming from a different team. Everyone was very respectful and very kind to me, just trying to reach out and be my friend, and that’s hard to find. For a whole community to reach out and try to be my friend? It was outstanding. I will always be grateful for that and to all of them because that’s so rare to find. Gary Terry as well, and a specific thankfulness to him and all he’s done to help me and my family and always push me to be the best I can be.”