Pellom McDaniels, an Oregon State defensive end from 1987-89 who spent nearly a decade playing professional football, died Sunday morning in Atlanta according to multiple reports.
McDaniels, 52, became a college professor after his football days, earning a PhD in American Studies. He was an assistant professor of African American Studies at Emory University, as well as a curator of African American collections for the school’s library.
McDaniels was also an author, writing several books that include “The Prince of Jockeys: The Life of Isaac Burns Murphy,” an African American jockey who won three Kentucky Derbys during the late 1800s.
In 2015, McDaniels was honored with the NCAA’s Silver Anniversary Award, which honors former student-athletes for their accomplishments 25 years after their college careers end.
During his three-year OSU career, McDaniels twice earned all-Pac-10 honors, and co-captain of the Beavers in 1989.
After Oregon State, McDaniels played two years for the Birmingham Fire in the World League of American Football. McDaniels then joined the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, where he played from 1993-98, then two years with the Atlanta Falcons before retiring.
--Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel
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