- John Henry Daley, dubbed 'mayor' of 'Sack Lake City,' excels as Utah's defensive end.
- Daley ranks near the top nationally with eight sacks and an 89.0 defensive grade.
- Coach Powell's guidance and Daley's determination contribute to his standout performance.
SALT LAKE CITY — There are no participation trophies in John Henry Daley's world.
The newly-dubbed "mayor" of "Sack Lake City" said he's not content being the second best to anyone.
Through six games, that has shown up on the field as one of Utah's starting defensive ends, who just so happens to be a half a sack out of first place in the country with eight sacks this season.
For Daley, it's a relentless pursuit to be the best he can be each day.
"I'm just a competitive guy. I don't like coming in second place. ... It's either you go out and you want to be the best, or there's no point in even trying. So that's my mindset coming in," Daley said.
"And that's the great thing about this team, it's so competitive, and every single guy's got that mindset," he added. "And so you can see guys elevating their games every single game this season. I mean, we've got multiple guys from Game 1 to now in your Game 6 or 7, who have really increased the way they've been able to play football. And it's just fantastic to watch all across the board."
After sitting behind veteran defensive ends last season, Daley emerged as a proven weapon as a starting-caliber defensive end in fall camp. But even the loftiest of expectations didn't have the redshirt sophomore out of Alpine, Utah, as arguably the best defender at Utah.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham described Daley has being "a big plus for us" after not fully knowing if his work ethic and talent would translate to the game after a successful fall camp; however, t was pretty convincing early on that Daley was special.
For the season, Daley has graded out as the top defensive player at Utah, returning an overall defensive grade of 89.0, and an even better 91.8 pass rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
He's accounted for 28 pressures, 15 hurries and four quarterback hits, in addition to forcing two fumbles and being credited for 19 stops for a defense that ranks 19th in the country in stuff rate.
Daley credits a lot of that success to his position coach, Lewis Powell, who has helped him believe in his own abilities on the field since transferring to Utah.
"Coach Powell is fantastic at what he does," Daley said. "He really knows how to build confidence and help you build confidence in yourself, and also in the scheme, and help you believe in yourself that you're able to go make plays and do all these things and teach you these techniques.
"And, I mean, the results speak for themselves," he added. "He has an amazing record of guys who's playing in the NFL, and he continues to do the same thing over and over again."
It's one of the reasons why Daley is grateful he transferred from BYU two years ago after his freshman season. Daley said the decision to come to Utah is "a long conversation," but added that "I just knew that BYU is no longer the place for me and I needed a change of scenery."
Daley said he's never looked back since that change of scenery. And for at least the first half of the season, he's been one of the best in the country at what he does.
"I'm very, extremely happy about my decision to come here," Daley said. "I'm very happy about my coaches. I love my coaches, and I love my teammates, and so very satisfied and very content with my decision to take my talents up north."
Powell said the Utah coaching staff has been interested in Daley since high school, but that he "had his mind set where he wanted to go" and the Utes had to wait for him to serve a two-year church mission and then a season at BYU before he was interested.
"We felt like it was somebody that would fit our defensive scheme here, and reached out," Powell said. "And, you know, he did his own research, felt like Utah was a great fit for him, and we were excited to get him."
That remains a constant theme for Daley: He knows what he wants and is fully committed in his approach. That determination has allowed Daley to develop quickly, Powell said.
"John Henry Daley has developed the most so fast and in such little time, and took on a leadership role that we're all pretty fired up about," Powell said. "His motor doesn't stop. We knew that from high school, and he's now just one of the leaders on defense and excited for his growth and his development."
"Every time he's out there, he knows that he's got to prove himself. I mean, he's got to set himself apart, because that group is such a good group — from top to bottom — that you can't make too many errors. You've got to be able to showcase your talent every single time you're out there, and he's been doing that every single time."
