This week’s FFE Player of the Week made a little history last Friday night.
Fort Chiswell's Daniel Hamm dropped the hammer on Floyd County in a 45 to 21 win, joining Chris Rodriguez as the only two Pioneers players to win Player of the Week honors.
“I just ran hard, wanted it. It's my senior year so I have to go out with a bang,” Hamm said.
He did that and then some against Floyd County, proving that you actually can roller skate in a Buffalo Herd. Daniel rambled for 325 yards on 21 carries against the Buffs, finding the endzone five times.
It was a career night, perhaps the best in the 52- year history of Fort Chiswell High School.
They were ranked fifth in the state and had beaten the team that beat us, George Wythe and we knew if we got this one, it would be a big win. My linemen created some major holes for me up front and I told them if they get me past the line of scrimmage then I would do my job.”
Daniel made the move from fullback to tailback this season, and his coaches estimated that he broke between 25 and 30 tackles in the game.
“He runs hard. Last year he was a straight line runner and now he's got a little shake to him,” Fort Chiswell head coach Stephen James said. “But with the shake he hasn't lost any of his power. He's hands down one of the strongest kids we have in the weight room. He is just a monster in the weight room. I think he is cleaning 345 pounds and he is benching about 280, squats 500 and he weighs about 180 pounds. He is a tremendous athlete.”
Hamm said: “I was used as a blocker and never really got many carries. I knew I would get my turn and that I would have a chance to prove myself. You know it's coming, it's here.”
Hamm is a standout on the basketball team as well, and has made his mark on the track as a long jumper, triple jumper, and high jumper. But his biggest impact is in the hallways every day.
“He likes to wear glasses every day, I tell him, to look smarter, but he's a pretty intelligent kid who gets along with everybody in school, and pretty much speaks to everybody,” James said. “He's just an all around great kid. You can't ask for a better kid.”
