WINNIPEG - Dante Daniels is the first to admit he was an emotional kid. He was so quick to tears, he says, that his foster family used to jokingly tease him whenever the waterworks started.

Fast-forward to today, however, and that sensitive boy has grown into a 272-pound rookie tight end who relishes the violence of the sport as a necessary outlet for the hardships he faced growing up in Windsor, Ont. For as long as he can remember, football has been the ultimate escape.

“Realizing in this sport that you could hit someone legally and not get arrested for it, I take my aggression out from my childhood or from just getting screwed over at different times,” Daniels said following Day 1 of Winnipeg Blue Bombers rookie camp at Princess Auto Stadium Wednesday. “I’m someone who is hard-nosed and not afraid to put my head in stuff. I will do anything to protect my teammates. I’ll go toe-to-toe with anyone and make a hole.”

That fierce, protective instinct was forged long before his college days at North Carolina State. As the third oldest of six children, Daniels was forced to grow up fast. His mother, Dianne, struggled with severe drug addiction, and his father, Edward, abandoned the family when Daniels was seven. After his mother moved to Detroit, Daniels was left homeless and couch-surfing-until Jen and Joel Fillion opened their home to him, becoming his legal guardians when he was 16.

For Daniels, surviving those struggles made the results of last month’s CFL Draft even more special. The Bombers selected him with the 10th overall pick.

“Getting to call Joel and tell him everything he helped me do has worked out … it was awesome to show him he didn’t waste his time on me,” Daniels said. “I owe a lot to them and I couldn’t have done this without them.”

Head coach Mike O’Shea acknowledged that learning about the hurdles players like Daniels have overcome provides an undeniable spark to the locker room. “There are a lot of guys that come with a very inspiring backstory that can be uplifting when you hear about it,” O’Shea said, “and it gives you more energy.”

The Bombers were so enamoured by the 24-year-old Daniels that they traded the 13th overall pick in 2026 and a second-rounder in 2027 to the Ottawa Redblacks to move up three spots to grab him at No. 10. The move prompted a viral, expletive-laden video from the team’s draft room, featuring general manager Kyle Walters unleashing a rant of pure excitement. At six-foot-five and more than 270 pounds, Daniels has been described as a “CFL unicorn.”

For quarterback Zach Collaros, the addition of Daniels creates flexibility on offence, particularly when it comes to formations on the line of scrimmage. “When you’re able to put a body out there that can block that way and also run routes and catch the football, it definitely presents issues for the defence,” Collaros said.

Daniels has reconnected with his biological father and is married to his wife, Reagan. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Windsor native and NFL tight end Theo Johnson, who has used his platform to mentor foster children. “You never know what you can say to someone that can bring them up in life,” Daniels said. “I’ve got to make the most of the opportunity I get.”