WINSTON-SALEM — Despite admitted reservations as a young football player in Richmond County, it didn’t take long for Daryus Skinner to find out he belonged on the college level.
Skinner never forgets what Winston-Salem State University football coach Robert Massey said in the team meeting following his first collegiate practice, in which he snagged an interception.
“We watched the pick and he (Massey) told the team that I’m not here to play around and that I’m here to take somebody’s job and play as a freshman,” said Skinner.
Since that poignant instance, the ball-hawing senior safety hasn’t looked back and has turned in one of the more impressive resumes in program history.
As a junior for the Rams, Skinner led the entire country with 11 interceptions and was named HBCU GameDay National Defensive Player of the Year.
Skinner finished the 2019 campaign with a team-high seven interceptions to finish his career with 22, which places him second in school history.
Last weekend, he was selected to the 2019 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) All-Super Region 2 Team, his second selection in as many years. And he also was a first team selection for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) All-Conference Team for the second straight season.
“I really don’t let any of that stuff get to my head because at the end of the day, I just want to continue to play football,” Skinner said of the barrage of accolades. “It says I came a long way.
Even when I probably didn’t believe I’d be doing some of this stuff…at the college level, a lot of people told me that I’m going to go far in football and a lot of people believed in me. And I can just say I haven’t let anybody down and I’ve been holding up my end by staying positive and doing what I’m supposed to do,” he added.
Most of those inspirational influences came during Skinner’s tenure as a two-year varsity player with the Richmond Senior football team. He says the instruction from Richmond coach Mike Castellano, who taught him to study the functions of the entire defense, not just his position, played a big role in the recruitment process.
Skinner also credits the hard workout sessions and general guidance from former Raiders defensive back coach Eric Gould for getting him in shape and learning the nuances of the position.
Leaving the Raiders as an all-conference performer with four interceptions in his senior season, WSSU coaches felt that Skinner’s knowledge of the game and instincts would lead to a successful career.
Castellano even amplified those sentiments by genuinely telling the coaches that Skinner reminded him of a former player he coached at Coastal Carolina University, current NFL star Josh Norman.
Now, Skinner leaves Winston-Salem a four-year starter with his name etched in the Rams’ history book. His next goal is to join Norman at the professional level, which he feels is more than attainable.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pounds safety says he’s had campus visits from the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills, who allowed him to take the Wonderlic test given to NFL prospects ahead of the league’s yearly draft.
In addition to hiring an agent soon, Skinner will enjoy a busy schedule over the next few months ahead of April’s NFL Draft.
On Dec. 21, he will participate in the 2019 FAF D1-FCS Senior Scout Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C., that showcases some of the best talent at the college level.
“I know that I’m going to make it,” Skinner said of playing pro ball. “And I just want to keep fighting and just keep going and play as long as I can.
