A former University of Georgia football player who once played at Bergen Catholic High School has been kicked off the team following a high-speed police chase Sunday morning that also involved his mother.
According to The Associated Press, freshman offensive lineman Nyier Daniels, a 6-foot-8, 345-pound offensive tackle, was booked into the Jackson County, Georgia, jail Sunday morning. His two younger siblings were reportedly in the car with him during the chase.
The incident started when Daniels’ mother, Brandi Canada Green, had been pulled over by police for a traffic violation in Commerce, Georgia. Daniels, a native of Newark, allegedly created a diversion, speeding in his BMW past Green and the officer who had pulled her over at 100 mph, 75 mph higher than the posted speed limit of 25 mph. Police chased Daniels onto an interstate, where he allegedly was going 150 mph.
At one point during the chase, Green blocked in an officer’s car to slow him down during the pursuit, according to Atlanta television station Fox 5.
Police decided to end their pursuit after they learned he was a Georgia football player. The officers reached out to the school, and Daniels eventually turned himself in. He was charged with three felonies: fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and two counts of cruelty to children. Daniels was levied with 10 other misdemeanor charges related to the chase. Green was charged with one felony (fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer) and willful obstruction of law enforcement officers, which is a misdemeanor. The AP listed Daniels’ bond at $21,000.
NJ Advance Media attempted to contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office’s Jail Division to see if Daniels was still in jail. However, those attempts were unsuccessful.
During a Monday news conference, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said he had not spoken to Daniels, but he was “obviously” no longer on the team.
Daniels was a standout at Bergen Catholic, helping the team win the Non-Public A state title in 2023. With his size and athleticism, he became a highly touted prospect and was ranked sixth on NJ Advance Media’s Todderick Hunt’s top-10 high school football recruits. He received offers from several major college football programs such as Rutgers, Auburn, Florida, Texas and Michigan before eventually choosing to attend Georgia.