Orlando McDaniel


Orlando Keith McDaniel was an American football wide receiver. He played college football for the LSU Tigers and professional football for the Denver Broncos. He appeared in 44 games at LSU, totaling 64 receptions for 1,184 yards and three touchdowns. Drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 1982 NFL Draft, he appeared in only three NFL games and did not catch a pass. McDaniel died in March 2020, a victim at age 59 of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biography

McDaniel was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and attended Lake Charles High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He attended college at Louisiana State University, where he played as a wide receiver for the Tigers. At LSU, he caught 64 passes for 1,184 yards and three touchdowns over four seasons. His 17.5 yards per reception in 1981 ranked second in the Southeastern Conference, and his 719 receiving yards ranked fourth.
McDaniel also ran track, and finished second in 1980 in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships – Men's 110 meter hurdles. McDaniel was the founder and coach of the North Texas Cheetahs Track Club.
On March 27, 2020, McDaniel died of complications from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas.