While most toddlers spend their time playing with race cars or dolls, 4-year-old Daylan Carnell’s favorite “toy” was a tackling dummy. 

His dad purchased it for him along with a helmet and shoulder pads when Carnell first decided he wanted to play football, and he would constantly take the dummy out to the backyard to practice.

Daylan was so eager that he attended every single football practice for his local youth football team. Despite the fact that he was too young to play in any of the team’s games, he was there, taking everything in, being a sponge to the game of football.

Seventeen years of hard work later, Daylan is now a key player on the Missouri Tigers defense, and along with him every step of the way was his father, his coach, mentor and lifelong fan, David Carnell.

The youth team that Daylan attended every practice for was coached by his father David. He would continue to coach his son all the way through middle school. Once Daylan was allowed to play in youth league games, the two’s bond over the game grew stronger. 

“We’ve always talked about different things ahead of games, what to look for, what my thought process was,” David said. “I watched film, he watched film, we talked about it. ‘Did you notice this?’ ‘No, I didn’t notice that.’”

Daylan’s unwavering commitment to football at just 4 years old was abnormal. However, not a lot of Daylan’s football journey thus far has been normal.

From high-school dual threat to Missouri ‘star’

At Ben Davis High School, Daylan shined in both the wide receiver and defensive back position. During his four years there, he racked up 102 tackles and nine interceptions on defense while adding 51 catches and three touchdowns on offense. 

Now at Missouri, Daylan plays the unique ‘star’ position — a hybrid between linebacker and safety. The role requires a versatile player to fit into defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s scheme.

“For us, it just kinda fits what we do,” Baker said of the unique position. “You have that hybrid guy who’s big enough to play the run, but also fast enough to play [in] the slot. That guy doesn’t grow on trees.”

In 2022, Carnell made a name for himself during his sophomore year while splitting time at the star position with then-senior, Martez Manuel. Carnell came away with a team-best three interceptions, including one that he returned 40-yards for a touchdown against New Mexico State. 

Following that late-season game, Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz complimented the progress made by Carnell in his first two years.

“He’s a guy that is always around the ball and his production is really good,” Drinkwitz said. “Daylan’s done a really good job, he continues to develop and continues to be a real force there on the defensive side of the ball.”

In his post-game press conference, Carnell didn’t spend much time boasting about his first touchdown as a Tiger. Instead, he focused on the accomplishment of his teammate, Jalani Williams, who came away with his first career interception in that game.

“I was actually kinda more happy for Jalani’s pick than mine,” Carnell said. “His first pick on senior night, so real happy for him and just real happy for the defense in general.”

While the selflessness might be a surprise to some fans, it’s nothing that David didn’t expect from his son. Since Daylan was a kid, David has preached the value of being a supportive teammate to his son.

“You notice whenever somebody does good, one of the first people that’s over there jumping on them is Daylan,” David said. “He’s generally happier for [his teammate’s] success than he is for his own.”

This admirable trait from Daylan is one of the many reasons that, according to David, his two younger siblings look up to him.

“He’s been a pretty good role model for them,” David said. “I think more so even now, [since] he’s at school, I think he understands a lot of the things I was trying to tell him when he was younger […] He does a real good job, he loves his siblings. He really does.” 

Love, family and pink

When the Carnell family makes the trip from Indianapolis to a Missouri football game, Daylan always meets them in the stands as soon as the final whistle blows. 

Before heading back to the locker room, Daylan and his father discuss their thoughts on the game, as well as his performance. If his family isn’t able to make it to a game, the family debrief goes digital.

“He texts me how he did in the game, his stats, and then he’ll tell me what he should’ve done or if something went wrong,” David said. “He’ll tell me if he felt like he made a mistake or didn’t play up to snuff, if he felt like he could’ve did a little more. It’s diverse conversation.” 

Family is certainly a significant aspect of Daylan’s life — his love for them is even represented in a small, yet for some fans, noticeable aspect of his game attire. 

In every game since his freshman year of high school at Ben Davis, Daylan has worn a pink mouthguard to honor his Aunt, Kurtrina Carnell. 

Kurtrina passed away from breast cancer in 2019, and while Daylan no longer needs his dad to purchase his helmet or shoulder pads like he used to, he still makes sure that David buys a pink mouthguard for him to wear in every game.

“[He realized] the pink mouthpiece, it was something he could wear all year long,” David said. “People don’t know, they probably think he does it for a fashion statement. But no, it has a meaning for him.”

A lot has changed for the Carnells since Daylan became a Missouri Tiger, however, the relationship with his father has remained strong. 

Though he is no longer on the sidelines, the two go through most of the same rituals. The relationship has been the same since Daylan was just a 4-year-old, eager to join his dad on the football field.

And to Daylan, that support has meant a lot. He spoke about it during an interview he did while still in high school:

“The support means a lot,” Daylan told two high school commentators. “[My dad is] always at the games. When he gets off work, he always comes to the practices. He always gives me positive feedback.”

David still watches film of Missouri’s upcoming opponent every week. Him and Daylan will even share a phone call before each game to discuss the upcoming opponent.

David can no longer be on the sideline, in Daylan’s ear in the moments before kickoff to give him that final pep talk, but now, he makes a social media post ahead of each of the Tigers’ games with his goals for Daylan. Those goals include not only winning the game, but also being a helpful teammate and building character.

No matter how far away Daylan is playing football, or how long he’s been playing it for, David has worked to support his son throughout the entire journey. 

“Me and my wife, our thing that we’re proud of him [for] is he’s there, he’s pursuing his dream and he’s doing it while he’s gaining an education,” David said. “What we want for him is for him to achieve his goals.”

Daylan’s ultimate goal is to be a star in the NFL. When talking about this dream, David’s use of the word “possible” prompts his wife, LaToya, to interject.

“Don’t say ‘possible.’ He will,” LaToya said. 

Regardless of his cautious wording, David believes in his son just as much as anyone else. 

“I told him ‘Man, I’m the guy that took you to all the practices,’” David said. “‘I’m the guy that took you out of town to play in different tournaments. I’m that guy so if anybody believes in you, I believe in you.’”

The goal, at the end of David’s weekly message to his son, is arguably the most important of them all.

“Continue making us proud,”the weekly posts read.

Edited by Chase Gemes | cgemes@themaneater.com

Copy Edited by Hannah Taylor and Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com