Mizzou legend Chase Daniel returns to Columbia, delighting new Tigers

Missouri legend Chase Daniel returned to Columbia and spent some time with the current football players, who were thrilled for the chance to interact with the eight-year NFL veteran.

Tigers senior tight end Jason Reese posted a post-workout photo of himself and five teammates, including Blue Springs South graduate Kendall Blanton and All-SEC preseason second-team pick J’Mon Moore, with Daniel early Friday morning.

Daniel, who signed with New Orleans in the offseason, devoted the afternoon to working with Mizzou’s quarterbacks, including Lee’s Summit graduate Drew Lock.

Sporting a nifty “R-U-N M-I-Z” shirt, freshman quarterback Taylor Powell also worked out with Daniel — who became the Tigers’ career leader in passing yards (12,515), passing efficiency (148.9), passing touchdowns (101), completion percentage (68.0) and total offense (13,485) during a record-setting career from 2005-08.

But perhaps nobody enjoyed the moment more than redshirt freshman Micah Wilson.

His father, Curtis, is a former Mizzou offensive lineman and served as team captain in 1988.

Wilson — whose mother, Shelly, also attended MU — grew up rooting for the Tigers and Daniel, in particular.

Daniel, who was a prep star at Southlake Carroll (Texas), initially signed with Washington in the NFL after going undrafted in 2009, but he spent his first four seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

He was a backup on New Orleans’ Super Bowl championship team and signed with the Chiefs in 2013, where he spent three seasons before following former Kansas City offensive coordinator Doug Pederson to Philadelphia last offseason.

Daniel, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2007, re-signed with the Saints on March 29.

This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Mizzou legend Chase Daniel returns to Columbia, delighting new Tigers."