Chase Daniel: One year later …

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Just like a year ago in New York City, Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel this week stood agog among the luminaries of the football world.

Again, he was mingling with legends of the game and heroes from childhood like Troy Aikman, who gave Daniel his e-mail address and soon will be hearing from him for advice.

"It was cool," Daniel said Saturday after MU's practice in preparation for the Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl against Northwestern. "It was awesome."

For all the similar sensations, though, that trip was under altogether different circumstances than the ones that launched him to NYC in 2007.

This time, Daniel was in New York as a finalist for the Draddy Award, given to the top scholar-athlete in college football. As a runner-up to winner Alex Mack of California, Daniel earned an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.

The Draddy "is the greatest honor you could have, really," MU coach Gary Pinkel said.

Just the same, its luster pales compared to the prestige Daniel earned on the occasion of his 2007 visit as a Heisman Trophy finalist.

One year ago Saturday night, Daniel finished fourth and was the first to hug winner Tim Tebow, then a Florida sophomore.

He was thrilled to get a plaque, as he put it Saturday, "made out of the real trophy material" that adorns his father's home office in Southlake, Texas.

Out of respect for the actual trophy, Daniel said then, he tried "not to touch it too much" as he posed near it. Besides, he had ample reason to think he'd have another chance to grasp it.

Yet even as he exulted in the moment, he appreciated that an encore trip shouldn't be taken for granted.

"Even if I have a horrible season (in 2008) for some reason — knock on wood — I can say I've been here at the Heisman Trophy presentation," he said then.

Still, with 16 players returning from a 12-2 team, the senior seemed as likely as Tebow to return this year and perhaps even have a chance to win this time.

"If I know him, he'll use this as motivation," his mother, Vickie, said after the ceremony last year. "He'll have that little thing on his shoulder all next year."

Perhaps he did. Or perhaps it slipped a smidge onto his back and became a burden. Whatever the case, in early October MU was 5-0 and Daniel was the leader in a number of Heisman straw polls.

Then came a three-interception performance in a loss to Oklahoma State and the Texas fiasco.

Gone were MU's national title prospects and Daniel's Heisman possibilities. Any chance of being back in New York as a distant finalist evaporated with the 40-37 loss to Kansas and 62-21 obliteration by Oklahoma.

Speaking in abrupt bursts that suggested he didn't wish to publicly delve deep into the topic, Daniel said he didn't lament that he would be watching on television Saturday night instead of in person.

"I've already experienced it. No hard feelings," he said, smiling and adding that he was pleased for Tebow, Colt McCoy of Texas and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma.

As he left the indoor practice facility in the late morning, in fact, Daniel said he planned shortly to call McCoy, whom he has known since attending various camps in high school.

From his own memory, Daniel figured McCoy would have some spare time in the early afternoon of what feels like "the longest day ever" before heading to the Nokia Theater.

"You're in the green room forever, it seemed like, playing video games, doing whatever," he said. "Finally, (you get) on stage and it's just unbelievable … knowing so many people are watching."

Many who watched MU this year surmised Daniel hasn't had quite the season he did a year ago.

But from a purely statistical standpoint, in many ways he performed better despite losing two NFL-bound targets in Will Franklin and Martin Rucker.

Although Daniel's yardage was down from 4,170 through 13 games last season to 4,135 through 13 in 2008, his passing efficiency rating improved from 151.90 to 164.76 and his completion percentage improved from 69.7 to 74.

That's a higher percentage than anyone in the history of major-college football … before this season, in which McCoy has completed 77.6 percent.

Daniel also has thrown for four more touchdowns this season, hurling 37.

But his one numerical regression is in a crucial category — interceptions. He has thrown 15 in 2008, five more than last year at this time.

"Interceptions at crucial times and stuff like that," said Daniel, who said he couldn't account for why. "It was a number of things … We tried our best."

Stepping to Daniel's defense, sophomore receiver Jeremy Maclin said, "People overlook that a lot were tipped. He's still one of the best quarterbacks out there, if not the best. I wouldn't (have wanted) to play with a different quarterback."

Nor would Pinkel.

"He had a great year, and (Bradford and McCoy) were sitting back home last year … watching him," Pinkel said, adding, "It's all part of the deal, but he still had a heck of a year."

And another trip to New York.

"I was lucky enough," Daniel said, "to experience both ends of the spectrum."

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