Solomon Landrum and Cole Daniels have been putting in work together at Sumrall’s Bobcat Field for about three years now. When they finish up and leave, lots of times they’re heading to lift weights together. Or riding together to a football camp or going to hang out at one another’s house.
Despite only knowing each other for a short time, Landrum and Daniels are like brothers. Daniels moved to Sumrall from East Marion as an eighth grader in 2015. From the jump, the duo of defensive ends clicked on and off the field.
“We didn’t miss a beat,” said Landrum. “Whenever Cole moved to Sumrall, we picked up like boys.”
Three years later, Landrum is entering his senior season at Sumrall, while Daniels will be a junior. Both will again start at defensive end for the Bobcats after combining for 8.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss last year.
“They’re a lot alike,” Sumrall coach Shannon White said. “They got great work habits and motors. That’s the big thing about them, they play hard.”
To this point, Landrum holds several junior college offers but is holding out for a Division I opportunity. His dad, Mike, played at Southern Miss. In addition to ability, Daniels believes Landrum’s leadership skills should stand out to college coaches.
“When practice is not going good, Solomon gets everybody going.”
As for Daniels, the junior dreams of an offer from Ole Miss and throws up the school’s Landshark celebration every chance he gets.
“I want that offer so bad,” said Daniels.
Landrum believes it might not be too far away, either.
“He [Daniels] has just grown so much in the past three years,” Landrum said. “It’s hard to tell when it’s going to stop because he’s got the mindset and takes care of his body and is always trying to better himself.”
White says that’s the case for both players.
“I don’t think they’re satisfied with anything. I don’t think they ever look at a day and say that was a great day. They say it can be better tomorrow.”
On the field, they’ve both been tested, playing in a district with perennial contenders like Poplarville and Purvis. And off it, well, they’ve been tested there, too.
Back in April, Daniels lost his mother, Tracy. In dealing with such a tragedy, one of the first people he leaned on was Landrum.
“Every time I need somebody to talk to, it’s Solomon,” said Daniels.
Added Landrum, “I felt like he knew he could lean on me always. We’re brothers.”
