Montana football commit one of the best dual-threat QBs in Nevada
HENDERSON, Nev. (BVM) – Daniel Britt’s spectacular junior campaign nearly didn’t take place.
During a spring practice drill just months before the 2019 season, the Liberty High School quarterback took an incidental elbow to the face. The blow shattered the entire right side of Britt’s face, broke his orbital bone and part of his jaw.
Britt initially opted against surgery, but after two months, his face healed completely wrong and was noticeably lopsided. A doctor had to re-break 14 bones in Britt’s face and probe his eyelid, nose and mouth during a four-hour surgery.
The freakish setback caused Britt to drop to fourth on Liberty’s quarterback depth chart, and he wasn’t cleared to play until the week of the 2019 season opener.
“I got a few reps towards the end of that game, but I’ve never been so scared to play football in my life,” Britt said. “I was afraid to get hit there again, but I kind of lost that fear.”
As Britt got more comfortable following his surgery, the Patriots struggled out of the gate. An 0-5 start (including two losses by 30-plus points) prompted the Liberty coaching staff to make a quarterback change.
“They (coaches) wanted to change something,” Britt said. “I was the only quarterback on our roster that was a dual-threat and they put me in.”
It was a decision that not only changed the Patriots’ season, but also the fate of Britt’s future.
Liberty would not lose another game after its 0-5 start and won its first Class 4A state championship with a dominating 50-7 win over Centennial in the title game. Meanwhile, Britt showcased his dual-threat ability for the remainder of the season on his way to first-team all-state honors.
The signal-caller threw for 2,141 yards and 24 touchdowns to just one interception while completing 77% of his passes. Britt also brought a new dynamic to the Patriots’ offense, using his legs to rush for 785 yards and another 10 scores.
— Daniel Britt♔ (@danielcbritt18) December 13, 2019
“When you can be a dual-threat quarterback like myself, it’s kind of something special,” Britt said. “You have that cannon (arm talent) and you can be just as fast as a running back. That’s really something a defense has to game plan for.”
Britt’s unique skill set is something the University of Montana coaching staff would take extreme interest in, but not right away. It was Britt who first reached out to Montana last December and the all-state quarterback didn’t hear anything back until June.
“All the coaches over there (Montana) were so into me once they finally saw my film,” Britt said. “They called me and had the whole staff on the phone the first day; they were all just so hyped about me. They didn’t go a day without texting me and I could just tell they were so interested in me.
Britt committed to the Grizzlies in August after receiving offers from Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and interest from others, a reality that was far-fetched just a year prior.
Committed!!! #GOGRIZ @coach_rosy @Coach_Hauck @bangulo @Libertyotball pic.twitter.com/Xg1NLTsfQU
— Daniel Britt♔ (@danielcbritt18) August 15, 2020
“You just have to be patient with everything,” Britt said.
Looking ahead to his future in Missoula, Britt hopes to recreate the magic of the Patriots’ improbable state title run. His focus lies in one accomplishment.
“A national championship, for sure,” Britt said. “Nothing less than that.”
