Chal Daniel

Chal Newton Daniel Jr. (August 31, 1921 – February 13, 1943) was an All-American football player who was drafted by the Cardinals in the 6th Round of the 1942 NFL Draft, but he went to serve in World War II instead and died in a training flight.

Daniel was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1921. He moved with his family to Longview, Texas, in 1932. He was a member of Longview High School's championship football team in 1937.

College career He played college football for the Texas Longhorns football team from 1939 to 1941. In 1940, he made the All-Southwest Conference 2nd team.

The next year, he was one of the so-called "Immortal 13" who upset Texas A&M 7–0. That team went 8–1–1, spent two weeks ranked #1 and finished 4th in the AP, the first Longhorn team to finish ranked. Several computer ranking systems later declared the team "National Champions" but Texas has never claimed that title. In November the team, including Daniel, was on the cover of Life Magazine. That year he made the All-Southwest Conference 1st team and he was selected by the International News Service, the Sporting News, and the Central Press Association as a first-team guard on the 1941 All-America football team. He was the first ever, 1st team All-American from the University of Texas.

After his senior year, he played in the 1942 East–West Shrine Bowl for college all-stars.

A road at Camp Fannin outside of Tyler was renamed in his honor a few months later, but the road and name did not remain after the camp was closed.