A senior Dartmouth attacker/midfielder became the first Big Green lacrosse player selected in the Major League Lacrosse draft when he was taken by the New Jersey Pride in a draft held in Fairfield, Conn., on the evening of June 3.
Tom Daniels '04 was selected in the fifth round of the draft following a strong showing earlier in the day at the Warrior Lacrosse Challenge -- a combine that hosted over 40 MLL prospects.
The six-team MLL league was launched in 2001 by a group of founding partners which included Jake "Body By Jake" Steinfeld, star of early 1990s television show Big Brother Jake.
Ross Johnson '02 is currently the only other Dartmouth lacrosse alum on an MLL roster.
Although Daniels is officially a member of the New Jersey Pride, he has yet to dress in an MLL game. MLL teams maintain active rosters of 25 members, but only 18 suit up for games.
Daniels explained that poor timing has limited his opportunity to compete for a game day roster spot.
In fact, the Big Green lacrosse star only recently reported to his MLL team. Daniels returned to the College following the draft for his June 13 graduation, and has only participated in one team practice to date.
"I'll be going to practice for the next three weeks and will hopefully earn a spot on the team by that time," Daniels said.
Unlike other professional sports, most MLL participants do not live off their player salaries alone.
The average MLL player salary is marginal compared to the compensation in many professional sports. Most players earn less than $18,000 annually for participating in a 36-game season that spans from May to August.
In the National Lacrosse League, a rival professional league, the top salary is about $25,000, according to an April 2004 report in Syracuse University student newspaper The Daily Orange.
On the other hand, 14-year-old Major League Soccer phenom Freddy Adu earns more than $500,000 annually for the D.C. United soccer club.
National Basketball Association center Shaquille O'Neal is slated to earn over $27.7 million next season, which amounts to more than 10 times the combined salary of the entire 150-man MLL.
League officials indicated that at present most of the league's players hold secondary jobs to compensate for the league's low player salaries.
In fact, the league is designed to accommodate players who hold secondary jobs -- even when in season.
Teams practice on Friday nights and play games on Saturday so that players can hold regular jobs during the week, Daniels said.
"A lot of guys are coaches," Daniels said. "Some work at camps. A lot of guys in New Jersey in particular have regular jobs in finance."
Daniels is currently an instructor at Top Gun Lacrosse Camp in Poultney, Vt., on weekdays.
The Massachusetts native was tapped by the New Jersey Pride in the 2004 MLL draft following a career that earned him the admiration of teammates, coaches and the lacrosse world.
"Daniels was a classic silent leader who led on the field with his fast paced style of play," midfielder Sean Anthony '06 said. "If times got tough he would often fire us up with a powerful speech in the huddle. Above all, he was a dedicated, hard-working student athlete."
For the second consecutive year, the senior midfielder was named second team All-Ivy in 2004, contributing an impressive 17 goals and 13 assists to Dartmouth's offensive attack.
Daniels turned in one of his best performances of the season in an April 21 showdown against Yale at Scully-Fahey Field. Daniels had three goals and one assist on the day with two fourth-quarter goals in a 13-12 Big Green victory.
In 2003, Daniels tallied 15 goals and 18 assists in 14 games. During that season, Daniels scored in every game including an assist in the NCAA tournament game against Syracuse University.
Daniels described his 4-goal and 3-assist effort in a victory against the Princeton Tigers as a career highlight because the game helped to guarantee the Dartmouth team's 2003 Ivy League championship.
Although he said that he is excited to compete at the next level, Daniels explained that graduating and leaving Dartmouth lacrosse behind has left him and his teammates with bittersweet feelings.
"I had a great four years," Daniels said. "Lacrosse was one of the most important things for me at the school in terms of time and energy. It is sad to leave, but we feel that we left Dartmouth lacrosse in a better state than when we came in."
