Quick Facts
Biography
Cam McDaniel (born September 20, 1991) is a Canadian football running back for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He gained Internet fame in 2013 as "Ridiculously Photogenic Football Player" after a photo of him during a game was released online.
Early life
McDaniel attended Coppell High School in Coppell, Texas. In 2009, McDaniel rushed for over 1,200 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also catching 57 passes for seven touchdowns. The next season, McDaniel ran for 1,906 yards and 32 touchdowns while recording 40 receptions for 492 yards and three touchdowns. He was eventually named second-team all-state running back by the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Class 5A team, and The Dallas Morning News named him to the all-area team's second team. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram awarded him MVP of District 7-5A. With McDaniel, the Coppell Cowboys lost only total three games, and went undefeated in his senior year.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam McDaniel RB | Coppell, Texas | Coppell High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | 4.51 | Nov 29, 2010 |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: ESPN grade: 77 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 3 Rivals: 10 | ||||||
Sources: | ||||||
College career
During his junior year of high school, McDaniel was offered scholarships by eight schools: Iowa, Iowa State, Colorado, Tulsa, Stanford, Texas Tech, Minnesota and Navy. In 2010, McDaniel was offered additional scholarships by Air Force, Cincinnati, Army and Louisiana Tech. On November 30, McDaniel announced his commitment to Notre Dame.
Notre Dame
ESPN stated that McDaniel was expected to serve as a slot receiver. In his freshman year, McDaniel served as a backup running back and on special teams, recording nine yards on three rushing attempts, while returning two kickoffs for 24 yards. In 2012, McDaniel played both running back and cornerback, while also playing special teams. He scored his first touchdown on October 6 against Miami (FL); McDaniel also set a school record for most consecutive carries on a drive with nine. McDaniel ended the 2012 season with 125 yards rushing and a touchdown.
On October 19, 2013 against the USC Trojans, McDaniel ran for a career-high 92 yards. That same game, he lost his helmet during a run, and a photo taken of him with tousled hair and a "Zoolander-esque smirk" went viral as "Ridiculously Photogenic Football Player", creating an Internet meme. McDaniel ended the 2013 season with 705 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
In his senior year, McDaniel was named a team captain. He concluded the 2014 season with 278 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
College statistics
| Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP/GS | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TDs | Rec | Yards | TDs | |
| 2011 | Notre Dame | 8/0 | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 | Notre Dame | 13/0 | 23 | 125 | 5.4 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 41 | 0 | |
| 2013 | Notre Dame | 13/3 | 152 | 705 | 4.6 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 34 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Notre Dame | 77 | 278 | 3.6 | 23 | 4 | 9 | 76 | 0 | ||
Professional career
2015 NFL draft
| Ht | Wt | 40‑yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20‑ss | 3‑cone | Vert jump | Broad | BP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 4.59 s | 4.21 s | 11.28 s | 6.78 s | 35 in (0.89 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) | 17 reps | ||||
| All values from Notre Dame's Pro Day | ||||||||||||
McDaniel was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, though he attended Notre Dame's Pro Day on March 31, 2015, one of eleven players to do so. McDaniel recorded a three-cone drill time of 6.78 seconds, faster than all running backs invited to the Combine, and would rank fifth among running backs in the last five Combines.
McDaniel was not drafted by any team in the 2015 NFL draft, but was offered a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys.
On May 11, 2017, McDaniel signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
Personal life
McDaniel married high school sweetheart Stephani Sterrett on May 17, 2014. McDaniel's father, Danny McDaniel, is the head football coach at Prosper High School, and with his wife Diane, are producers for AdvoCare. McDaniel's grandfather and great-grandfather were also head coaches at Prosper. He has two brothers, Gavin and TJ; Gavin is a running back for the Washington Huskies football team.