By Andrew Hanson, UNK Student
 
Kearney, Neb. -  Not many people can do what Ty Danielson accomplished.
 
The 6-foot-3, 170 pound athlete did it all for York High School.
 
In the fall, he helped lead the Dukes' football team to the state championship game. An all-state wide receiver, Danielson had more than 1,500 receiving yards and caught 12 touchdowns during his career.
 
On the hardwood, York had their deepest run in the state basketball tournament in 23 years. Danielson propelled the team to the state semifinals behind an average of 21 points per game.
 
During track season, Danielson was a part of the winning 3,200-meter relay team at the Nebraska State Track Meet and finished second in the 800-meter run. Something your typical all-state wide receiver and basketball player does not usually do.
 
Danielson knew there was a choice that had to be made, though.
 
"For a while, football was what I thought I was going to do. My junior year, I had a really good season," Danielson said. "Nebraska was contacting me to look in to walking on. I was talking to South Dakota, South Dakota State and some other smaller schools."
 
The summer between his junior and senior year changed everything for him.
 
"I had a good AAU summer (for basketball) after my junior year and Kearney offered me," the sophomore guard said. "It was very exciting to get that offer, and then I made the decision over the summer."
 
The fact that Kearney was close to his hometown of York and that he had grandparents living in town, helped make his decision. That, along with the relationship he developed with Kevin Lofton who was the Lopers' co-head basketball coach at the time, made UNK the clear choice.
 
"In the recruiting process, Coach Lofton cared more about me as an individual than trying to get me to come here so bad," Danielson added. "We made a connection pretty early, so that helped."
 
While Danielson's football career might have ended after his senior year of high school in 2013, he did still have one more game to play – the 2014 Nebraska Shrine Bowl, which is the premier all-star game in the state.
 
It offered Danielson a chance to put on the pads one last time, but also let him see what playing at UNK's Foster Field was like.
 
"Wearing that helmet one more time, the York helmet, was pretty cool," Danielson said. "Playing at UNK was awesome because I thought about playing football here, too. It was kind of nice to have one last game on the field.
 
"The talent level in that game was crazy. Nebraska's got some dang good football players and just meeting all those guys was the best part of it all."

In the contest, he led the South squad with four catches for 89 yards. He also had the game's long reception (54 yards).
 
Since becoming a part of the UNK men's basketball team, Danielson's collection of athletic experiences have molded his game, but ultimately his basketball skillset has set the pace.
 
"Football players, basketball players – people can say they're the same, but it's really not," Danielson explained. "It's a different kind of shape, type of skill work, everything."
 
However, Danielson noted that the footwork aspects of football have translated some to the hardwood for him.
 
"The footwork things in football have helped me in basketball with being quicker and more physical," he said.
 
All the work has paid off for the 3-point shooter, too.
 
Danielson ranked in the top-ten in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association last year as a freshman in all 3-point shooting statistical categories.
 
This year has been no exception for Danielson, who's shooting 39 percent from long range (36 of 93). He is second on UNK in made threes with his percentage tied for third.
 
The sophomore hit one of the biggest shots of his career Saturday when he hit a game-winning three with six seconds left to give the Lopers a 57-55 victory over Central Missouri.
 
"I've been doing it as long as I can remember. My dad taught me when I was young, and I just worked on that because it's a way to stretch the defense," Danielson said. "It's kind of fun to make a 3-point shot."
 
Saturday's shot might have been the most fun of them all.