Fatherhood gives MSU’S Dantzler new perspective
Cameron Dantzler has a whole new perspective on life and football.
It’s been that way since this past May.
Mississippi State’s star cornerback, who’s considered a candidate for multiple big-time 2019 awards already, will take the field this coming season sporting what he calls a completely changed demeanor. The reason? That’d be the birth of his son, Cameron Dantzler, Jr., just a few short months ago.
“He’s my everything,” the elder Dantzler said of his son earlier this week. “From now on, I don’t just do things for myself. I do it for him. If I do something wrong, I know he’s back home depending on me to do it right.”
There’s a solid chance baby Dantzler won’t have to witness his father make too many mistakes in the year ahead. Daddy Dantzler, entering his junior season, has shaped himself into one of the Southeastern Conference’s premier defensive backs.
In fact, according to MSU cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley this past spring, Dantzler is even better than that.
“I think Cam has proved to be one of the better corners in the country, not just the SEC,” Buckley said. “Based on now with everything he’s doing, I would say he’s the best corner in the country.”
That’s obviously a ton of hype for Dantzler to live up to. Yet he’s shown over his first two seasons as a Bulldog why Buckley and others are so high on him.
Last year, Dantzler led a cornerback unit that didn’t give up a single touchdown in the regular season. He ended the year with 43 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions and 11 passes defended. According to Pro Football Focus, Dantzler was the second-best corner in the SEC when judging by passer rating allowed. Dantzler was thrown at 51 times last year and allowed only 22 receptions. All this followed a freshman season in which Dantzler broke onto the scene by notching 25 tackles and a pick in his debut campaign.
By almost any measure, Dantzler can be considered elite. Perhaps one reason for that is that he refuses to take anything for granted. Yes, barring disaster, Dantzler will be a starting corner for MSU in the season ahead, however he says he’s preparing every day like he still has a job to win.
“Well being a starter you can’t get too comfortable,” Dantzler said. “We’ve got some young guys that can play so you have to keep outworking them.
“Even if you’re a starter, you have to outwork your competition and the guys that are under you because you know they’re trying to be in your spot. It (works out to be) a good thing for me and the guys that are under me.”
The young Bulldogs might well be pushing Dantzler to greater heights, but he seemingly didn’t need any extra motivation anyway. He already had plenty to play for in the form of his new little bundle of joy.
Little Cam Jr. has changed everything for the elder Dantzler. Dantzler says that now, for every practice, every game and every pick he records, the purpose behind it all is his new little boy.
“It’s been different,” Dantzler said of fatherhood. “I still have to come in and go to film, train and get treatment. I still have to do the things I’ve been doing even though he’s here. Hopefully he’ll understand as he gets older that I’m doing it for him.”