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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Annual See's candy sales start Friday Mt. 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Chris Honoré: Was the midterm election a mandate? ... Our View: ... Ashland Calendar ... Chris Honoré: Was the midterm election a mandate? ... Our View: ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL Putting himself on the line SOU's Daniel Breaux lands dream job as cop, aims to finish 'with a bang' By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 2, 2014 @ 5:46 pm Updated Nov 4, 2014 at 1:40 PM By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 2, 2014 @ 5:46 pm Updated Nov 4, 2014 at 1:40 PM » Social News Every time Daniel Breaux leans down into his three-point stance, the starting defensive end for the Southern Oregon University football team puts his body at risk. So maybe it should come as no surprise that a man who’s been one of the Raiders’ most valuable defensive players since earning his first start as a sophomore two years ago has chosen a career that will require him to put his life on the line every day. Long before Breaux (pronounced “bro”) became a team captain for the No. 5-ranked Raiders and the cornerstone a defense that’s quietly improved by about a touchdown allowed per game this season, he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue a career in law enforcement. For that reason, Saturday’s landmark 45-28 victory over No. 21 Rocky Mountain, as significant as it was considering SOU’s drive to get back to the playoffs, probably only qualified as the second most exciting event Breaux has experienced in the last two weeks. The first? That would probably be the moment he learned that he had been hired to join the Berkeley, Calif., police department. The senior and three-year starter is on pace to graduate in December. By January he’ll be putting what he learned in Southern Oregon’s criminology department to use in Berkeley’s police academy. About five weeks after that he could be patrolling the streets of Berkeley. Yup, it’s pretty much a dream come true. “It’s exciting, especially to know that I’ll have something coming out of college right away,” said Breaux, adding that his father was a deputy sheriff for 30 years in Monterey County, Calif. “It was a lot of hard work and all of the football stuff that I did, it all paid off. But right now, my eyes are focused on what I gotta do these next two months until I graduate with football. I’m just going to try to finish strong then dedicate myself to the second third of my life, which is working.” And working is something Breaux has already proven he’s willing to do. Known for pushing his body to its absolute limit during games, Breaux has ranked in the top five on the team in tackles every season since 2012 and this season ranks fourth in tackles with 44, second in tackles for a loss (five) and is tied for second in sacks (two). On Saturday, Breaux helped Southern Oregon’s defense do something that it had yet to accomplish since joining the Frontier Conference in 2012 — slow down the Battlin’ Bears. Yes, Rocky Mountain still amassed 523 yards, including 420 through the air, but the visitors were held below 30 points and weren’t able to get within 14 points of the Raiders in the second half. The performance continues a trend that bodes well for SOU’s playoff aspirations, which include winning the program’s first NAIA national championship. After giving up 31.7 points and 440 yards per game last season, the Raiders have trimmed those numbers to 25 points and 409 yards this year. Head coach Craig Howard said the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Breaux, who was one of Howard’s first recruits, has been a huge part of SOU’s defensive resurgence. And the tackles, assists, sacks and quarterback rushes, Howard was quick to add, are only part of the reason why. “He just plays 100 miles an hour out there,” Howard said. “I talked to him before (Saturday’s) game about three things. No. 1, do your job. No. 2, have fun. No. 3, play with great effort. And Daniel Breaux gives 100 percent effort every snap, and that’s infectious. The other players feed off of that. Daniel Breaux has always given that kind of an effort; he’s a spark plug for us.” It hasn’t been easy. But Breaux, who is currently carrying 20 credit hours (that amounts to six classes), has managed to fulfill his considerable football commitments as well as maintain a 3.7 grade point average and, for a time, contribute in SOU’s student government. Excelling in one of the school’s most challenging programs is difficult enough all by itself, but Breaux has managed to do that while enduring three or four road trips to Montana every fall. How is that possible? “Commitment,” he said. “It comes down to commitment, just really having my eyes on the prize of being a student athlete — and it’s student first and athlete second. They’ve taught us well; the coaches do their best to help us and make sure when we’re on the road we’re getting (homework) done. I’ve made sure over the past four years I’ve gotten things done when I was supposed to get them done.” Breaux isn’t all business, however. Outgoing and full of good humor, he’s been known to lighten the mood from time to time. Howard still remembers his own introduction to Breaux’s unique personality. It was 2011, not long after Howard was brought in as the program’s new head coach, and Breaux was in town for an official visit. All the potential recruits had gathered in Meese Auditorium for a little question and answer session. Howard was there, as was SOU athletic director Matt Sayre. After a brief speech by Sayre, he asked if anybody had any questions. Breaux raised his hand. “What,” he asked Sayre, “do you use to style your hair?” “Everybody laughed,” Howard recalls. “He’s just that kind of guy. He makes people enjoy themselves.” Now that he has a job lined up, Breaux is excited about the opportunity to concentrate on football. No more scanning the web for openings or pressure-packed job interviews. Now, he said, it’s all about trying to help the Raiders write their happy ending, the one they’re pretty sure they barely missed when they suffered an overtime loss in the 2012 national quarterfinals. Southern Oregon has two more regular season games to go — next week at Montana Tech and the following Saturday against Eastern Oregon. After that, barring a total collapse, SOU will be one of 16 teams thrown into the NAIA Championship Series, which culminates with the championship game Dec. 19 at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. Breaux is planning on being there. If he’s not, it won’t be for lack of effort. “It’s my home stretch right now, so I’m dedicating everything I’ve got to school and football,” he said. “Once the time comes to start working then I’ll be ready for that. But right now I’m trying to keep my focus on the things I gotta do to make sure I can go out with a bang.” Joe Zavala can be reached at 541-776-4469 or [email protected]. By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 2, 2014 @ 5:46 pm Updated Nov 4, 2014 at 1:40 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman's Post-Week 11 Fantasy Reaction Nov. 17, 2014 at 12:11 am Calvin Johnson Injury Update Nov. 16, 2014 at 10:32 pm Giovani Bernard Injury Update and Fantasy Football Impact Nov. 16, 2014 at 10:22 pm Analyzing Week 11 WR Bounce-Backs Nov. 16, 2014 at 10:11 pm Fantasy Winners, Losers of Week 11 Nov. 16, 2014 at 10:08 pm Week 12 Waiver Wire Breakout Candidates Nov. 16, 2014 at 9:59 pm calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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