Southfield (Mich.) High native Daylen Baldwin wasn’t an elite player at Waterford Mott, but he had something many his age didn’t, head coach Chris Fahr recalled — an unbelievable work ethic.
That helped him earn the right to play college football, first at Morgan State before transferring to Jackson State in 2019. He caught 16 passes for 181 receiving yards and one touchdown as a freshman in 2017, just scratching the surface of his potential.
“I don’t know if you’d say he’s a late bloomer, but he’s one of the hardest working kids I’ve ever been around,” Fahr reported. “Even when things didn’t go his way, whatever happened — good, bad or in between — he always kept working. That’s why for this to turn out the way it has for him, I’m really happy for him.”
And now he's a Michigan Wolverine.
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Baldwin was the Southwestern Athletic Conference's leading receiver during the 2021 spring season, earning first-team All-SWAC and named league's Newcomer of the Year with 540 yards and seven touchdowns on 27 catches in in only six games playing for head coach Deion Sanders. He notched 130 receiving yards in two games and scoring a touchdown in every contest but one.
Fahr coached him up to become a college receiver, and he continued to progress. He showed flashes, including a game-winning catch in a win over Novi as a prep, and he’s gotten better and better since.
“He’s just a very hard worker. That goes into this,” Fahr said. “He wasn’t always a 6-3, chiseled 200-some pounder. That just comes with sweat equity. He’s a very coachable kid, loves football, and he just made some great plays when they needed to be made.
"That goes back to his whole story. Even if things might not go his way in the beginning, he’ll stay on track and keep going. He very rarely had bad days. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him wake up on the wrong side of the bed … great smile, always happy to be coming to football, to be doing football stuff.”
Fahr has continued to keep tabs on Baldwin like he does all his players. He couldn’t be prouder of his former pupil, excited to see what he can do at the next level of football.
He has a feeling he’ll continue to elevate his game. It’s just what Baldwin does.
“He has very good hands, strong hands, is a willing blocker,” Fahr said. “He’s just an all-around, great football player. He’s really turned himself into a very special player.”
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