On any given spring Saturday afternoon during his tenure at the University of Denver, Danny Logan racked up goals and assists to help push the team to one of its highest levels of competition in program history.
Logan was part of record-breaking history on more than one occasion at DU, finishing his career in crimson and gold eighth in Denver history in career ground balls, third in caused turnovers and second in games played.
“…You don’t think about the records, and when you’re young, you think about all these players that played before you and [competing alongside] these guys [who] paved the way and won the championship,” Logan said.
Logan, who came to DU from Upper Arlington, Ohio, played midfielder for the DU men’s lacrosse team from 2016 to 2021 and received a bachelor’s degree in international business and finance, as well as completing a master’s in applied quantitative finance.
Called “D-LO” by his teammates, he loves going fly fishing, skiing and seeing the beautiful mountains, especially with his teammates.
“At DU, there were a bunch of guys on the team who liked to go into the mountains and do activities. We had a strong group of guys that loved to go fly fishing and found ourselves doing that when we were not playing lacrosse,” Logan said. “Now, out of college, we do a little more skiing and have a little more time.”
Before becoming a superstar on the lacrosse field and building the legacy at DU he did, Logan had a strong group of mentors that formed him into the player he would become. Logan had vital coaches all throughout middle school and high school that he stays in touch with to this day, but veteran DU head coach Bill Tierney is among the most influential.
“[Tierney] is the best in college lacrosse and a legend at the game,” Logan said. “Learning from Coach Tierney was an incredible experience. It’s something that I never thought was possible when I was in high school, but then when I got to the University of Denver and had a chance to learn from him. I knew I was in an incredible spot, and really thankful for my time learning from Coach Tierney and he’s someone I call a friend now.”
Logan has many accolades to go with a hall of fame resume, which include being named to the All-BIG EAST First Team in 2019 and 2021. He also had awards such as Inside Lacrosse Midseason Honorable Mention All-American in 2019 and 2021, as well as being named the Denver Athletics Male Freshman of the Year his rookie season.
Logan’s personal goal was to be the hardest worker and teammate, and during his time at the DU, he had fantastic teammates that cared about him; his support group was a big key to his success.
“Being the best teammate and the best leader is something that I strive for whenever I’m competing in athletics,” Logan said. “Now in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), I’m younger and [I’ve] completed my rookie season, so [I’m] staying humble and learning from the older guys. My end goal is to win a championship.”
When the game comes around, there’s a different mindset with a little more excitement and being ready to take it to another level. He used to have a pregame routine with former teammate Ethan Walker, but now they are on opposite teams in the pros. Logan loves to incorporate tactics he learned from other players and likes watching his position and guys who came before him and people who are the same age to see what works in order to improve his game.
“I try to implement that into my own game and a little bit of flavor for my own style,” Logan said. “The guys that can use mind and body to play the game are extremely successful, especially when it comes to preparation and getting ready for the game.”
Sports psychology has been part of Logan’s life since he was introduced to it by his strength coordinator. Some of the tools he uses are visualization and meditation. When he got older and developed as a player, his strength coaches mixed them into his training routine, and now he uses those tools in the pros.
“[These practices] are extremely helpful. It lets you take a step back, calm your mind, calm your body,” Logan said.
Off the field, he and his team volunteered for a society called unified lacrosse. He became involved with it freshman and sophomore year, and the goal was to promote positivity, self-esteem and energy for special needs kids and teenagers.
“Our team at DU got involved in that, and the men’s lacrosse team learned so many things from those kids playing lacrosse,” Logan said. “The positivity and joy they brought every day was really exciting.”
Logan, who was taken 11th overall by the Atlas in the 2021 PLL Draft, reflected on his five years at DU, and spoke of how grateful he is to the program.
“At DU, it felt like the five years we were going pretty slow, but now I look back, and they flew by, and they were the most special years in my life. Being with my best friends and playing the sport I love was an incredible experience. I look back every day on all the fun we had and academics, athletics, extracurriculars, and an incredible experience at DU, and it holds a special place in my heart.”
