Daniel Winters — We Remember
Some people leave behind records.
Others leave behind results.
And then there are those who leave behind a feeling — a presence so genuine that years later, their name still means something deeper than wins and losses.
Daniel Winters was that kind of person.
Daniel began wrestling in the Murfreesboro Elite Wrestling Club when he was still in elementary school. He was a skinny kid back then, all elbows and knees, with a huge smile that never seemed to go away. From the very beginning, he was easy to like. Coaches noticed it. Teammates felt it. Wrestling rooms can be intense places, but Daniel carried a lightness with him — a goofy grin, a fun-loving attitude, and a kindness that made people want to be around him.
As he grew through middle school wrestling, that never changed. Daniel was respected because he worked hard. He listened. He showed up. And he treated people the right way. Teammates often remember his smile first — not forced, not fake — just Daniel being Daniel.
When he arrived at Blackman High School, something clicked.
He found his stride, not just as a wrestler, but as a teammate. Daniel loved his mom, Tara, and if you were at a match, you didn’t have to look far to find her — camera out, cheering him on, capturing moments that mattered. Wrestling was something they shared, and you could feel that bond every time he stepped on the mat.
Daniel wasn’t the loudest voice in the room, but he was often the first to step up. When new freshmen walked into the wrestling room — nervous, unsure, overwhelmed — Daniel was there. He welcomed them. He helped them. He showed them how things worked. He wanted them to feel like they belonged, because that’s what the team meant to him.
He wasn’t the greatest wrestler Blackman ever had. He didn’t pretend to be. But what Daniel lacked in natural dominance, he made up for with heart, dedication, and an unselfish love for his teammates. He wanted the team to succeed. He wanted others to succeed. And he was willing to do whatever he could to help make that happen.
During his junior year, Daniel reached a milestone he had worked toward for years.
At the Region Tournament, with only the top four advancing to the TSSAA State Tournament, Daniel found himself in the blood round against a kid from Cookeville — win and you’re in, lose and the season is over. He fought tough in that match pinning his guy (in a cradle of course), earned his spot, and then went on to win his third-place match against Daniel Bradford of Siegel. For the first time in his career, Daniel Winters was a state qualifier.
The team celebrated. Pictures were taken. Smiles were everywhere. It felt like the reward for years of persistence and quiet determination.
Later that night, Daniel stayed over at a teammate’s house. Like so many nights before, they were just kids — teammates, friends — enjoying each other’s company. But they made the decision to leave the house late at night and head to Nashville. On the way home in the early hours of the morning, tragedy struck. An accident on I-24 took Daniel’s life.
He never made it home.
The shock was immediate. The pain was overwhelming. Coach Ronnie Bray handled the days that followed with care and intention. He coordinated communication, leaned on the wrestling community, and made sure the team honored Daniel the right way. Practices were adjusted. Expectations shifted. The focus moved from results to people, all with the TSSAA state tournament looming on the horizon. In a moment when everything could have fractured, the program stayed together.
The Blackman wrestling team, the school, and the Murfreesboro community were devastated. And far beyond that, the wrestling community rallied — because even those who didn’t know Daniel personally understood what had been lost. The amount of support across the state from the wrestling community was simply amazing.
In no time at all, T-shirts were made in Daniel’s honor, featuring a bold DW logo and the words “We Remember.” Wrestlers wore them with pride. The Tullahoma wrestling program dyed their hair Blackman orange as a sign of solidarity — a gesture that quickly spread to Blackman teammates and wrestlers from other schools. It was wrestling’s way of saying, you are not alone.
At the TSSAA State Tournament the following week, a banner bearing Daniel’s picture was displayed — and every single wrestler in the state tournament signed it. One by one, competitors added their names, honoring a young man they now carried with them.
At the State Tournament, Blackman senior Tyler Garrison advanced to the state finals and stepped onto the mat wearing Daniel’s yellow Adidas wrestling shoes. In the championship match against Aaron Oliver of Cleveland, Garrison wrestled not just for himself, but for his teammate, and his team. He won the match and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the TSSAA State Tournament — a moment forever tied to Daniel’s memory.
Out of that loss came something lasting.
Blackman Wrestling created the Daniel Winters Award, presented each year at the team banquet to the wrestler who best embodies Daniel’s spirit —
Most Outstanding Team Dedication and Effort in Willingness to Help Your Teammates.
The first recipients were Daniel’s own teammates, Clayton Apland and Blake Langford. And every year since, the award has been given to a Blackman wrestler who reflects what Daniel stood for — not just on the mat, but in life.
Daniel Winters may not have had the longest career, but he left behind something greater than medals or records. He left behind a standard. A reminder of what it means to be a teammate. A reminder that effort matters, kindness matters, and showing up for others matters.
Years later, his name still carries weight.
His smile is still remembered.
And his spirit still lives on in the Blackman wrestling room.
We remember.
Daniel’s Last Match – 3rd Place at Region 5 Tournament – Feb 7, 2015
Tribute to Daniel Winters Shown at the 2015 Wrestling Banquet