His mother worked as a housekeeper to a bank chairman but one moment that stuck with Daniels was after a celebration of his scholarship offer to Prairie View A&M University.
[11] Daniels and the Raiders improved greatly in 1963, the first of four straight American Football League All-Star seasons for him.
In the All-Star Game that year that was targeted for play in January 1965, Daniels served as a key voice in a boycott called by him and other fellow black players from playing the game in New Orleans due to discrimination, such as being refused service by a number of New Orleans hotels and businesses.
[16][17][18] Daniels ran for 575 yards on 130 carries with four touchdowns before he broke his leg in the November 23 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
[21] Daniels had spent his off-seasons teaching high school students in Dallas and Oakland.
He soon became a member of the California State Packing Store and Tavern Owners Association (CAL-PAC).
Conversations with Newton eventually led to a CAL-PAC scholarship program for high school students in the Bay Area.
[22] Daniels retired as the all-time leading rusher in the American Football League with 5,138 yards.
[23] He was the all-time leading rusher for the Raiders until he was passed by Mark van Eeghen over a decade after his retirement.
[25][26] Ron Wolf called Daniels “without doubt, the best halfback in the American Football League during his time...The thing that made Clem so good was his overall athletic ability.