HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University Department of Athletics, as well as the football program and the entire university community, mourns the loss of former Pirates running back Ardell Daniels.

Daniels, 29, died on Dec. 18 after a head-on collision in Sarasota County, Fla.

“Ardell will definitely be missed,” said Pirates head coach Donovan Rose, who was on the Pirates staff when Daniels was on the team. “He was always an extremely bright, mannerable young man. He was a great addition to our team, he got along with everybody.”

Daniels played at Hampton in 2004 and 2005 after spending a year with Army at West Point. He had nine 100-yard rushing games in his career, including a 191-yard effort at Savannah State on Nov. 20, 2004.

For his career with the Pirates, Daniels rushed for 2,142 yards – eighth-most in program history – and he had 15 touchdowns on the ground in 2004, which is tied for the fourth-most in a single season. Daniels saw the end zone 24 times on the ground as a Pirate, tied for seventh in program history.

“On the field, Ardell was very talented, and he brought leadership and aggressiveness to the team,” Rose said. “But off the field, he was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy.”

Daniels was a native of North Port, Fla. and played his high school football at Venice High School and was a member of the school's state championship team in 2000. During his one season at West Point, Daniels was Army's MVP in a 26-17 win over the U.S. Naval Academy.

Daniels is survived by his wife Abigail and two children.