Rookie of the Year Winner Jayden Daniels Says His Mom Is His No. 1 Fan: ‘She Goes to Every Game’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Jayden Daniels' biggest supporterhas been with him from the beginning.Shortly after winningPepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Yearon Feb. 6, the Washington Commanders quarterback, 24, spoke to PEOPLE from the SiriusXM set at Media Row about the highlights of his debut season. He recalls the “energized” home game against the Atlanta Falcons to clinch a spot in the playoffs in front of a full Northwest Stadium.“Everybody’s bringing out their flags. Everybody’s bringing out their Washington gear, so it was exciting to see the stadium packed on Sunday night,” he tells PEOPLE.The Commanders' fanbase brought the same fervor to voting for Daniels for rookie of the year, and the athlete calls them the “best fans in the NFL.“Regina Jackson and Jayden Daniels in July.Tommaso Boddi/FilmMagicBut his no. 1 fan is someone close to his heart: his mom and manager, Regina Jackson.“She goes to every game, no matter if it’s cold, rainy, snow, she’s gonna be in the stands for sure,” he says.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Jayden Daniels on Jan. 18.Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via GettyEven before he turned pro, Daniels has emphasized the role of Regina and dad Javon’s support in his success. OnThe Pivot Podcastin December 2023, while he was still with the Louisiana State University Tigers, Daniels said, “Everything they’ve done for me, I’ve been so grateful for.“The second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft finished his first season with record numbers for arookiequarterback, including highest points per game. He led the Commanders to their first postseason victories in nearly two decades, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.At the2025 NFL Honors, the Commanders star added another accolade to his historic season, bringing home AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with 49 out of 50 first-place votes from the nationwide media panel.“I want to thank my mom that’s in the stands. I want to thank my family back home. Shout out to y’all for helping me get to this point,” Daniels said in hisacceptance speech.

Jayden Daniels' biggest supporterhas been with him from the beginning.

Shortly after winningPepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Yearon Feb. 6, the Washington Commanders quarterback, 24, spoke to PEOPLE from the SiriusXM set at Media Row about the highlights of his debut season. He recalls the “energized” home game against the Atlanta Falcons to clinch a spot in the playoffs in front of a full Northwest Stadium.

“Everybody’s bringing out their flags. Everybody’s bringing out their Washington gear, so it was exciting to see the stadium packed on Sunday night,” he tells PEOPLE.

The Commanders' fanbase brought the same fervor to voting for Daniels for rookie of the year, and the athlete calls them the “best fans in the NFL.”

Regina Jackson and Jayden Daniels in July.Tommaso Boddi/FilmMagic

Tommaso Boddi/FilmMagic

But his no. 1 fan is someone close to his heart: his mom and manager, Regina Jackson.

“She goes to every game, no matter if it’s cold, rainy, snow, she’s gonna be in the stands for sure,” he says.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Jayden Daniels on Jan. 18.Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty

Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty

Even before he turned pro, Daniels has emphasized the role of Regina and dad Javon’s support in his success. OnThe Pivot Podcastin December 2023, while he was still with the Louisiana State University Tigers, Daniels said, “Everything they’ve done for me, I’ve been so grateful for.”

The second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft finished his first season with record numbers for arookiequarterback, including highest points per game. He led the Commanders to their first postseason victories in nearly two decades, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.

At the2025 NFL Honors, the Commanders star added another accolade to his historic season, bringing home AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with 49 out of 50 first-place votes from the nationwide media panel.

“I want to thank my mom that’s in the stands. I want to thank my family back home. Shout out to y’all for helping me get to this point,” Daniels said in hisacceptance speech.

source: people.com