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Rex Brown

Daniel High School’s Marcus Greenlee breaks into the open field during the Lions’ season-opening win over Easley at Singleton Field in Central. Greenlee and other Lions will play tonight’s Class AAA playoff game against Lugoff-Elgin still mourning the death of longtime Daniel art teacher Mike Biggs, who passed away on Wednesday.

CENTRAL — When the Daniel High School football team takes the field tonight for its third-round playoff matchup against Lugoff-Elgin, there will be more than a few Lions playing with heavy hearts.

Longtime art teacher Mike Biggs, who had recently retired, tragically lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Wednesday morning at the age of 65, with his wife Martha, also a former teacher at the high school, and son Christopher by his side.

And while his passing has sent shockwaves throughout the Daniel community, it hasn’t taken long for many of Biggs’ mourners to crack a smile in his memory, as his cynical, and sometimes even cryptic, sense of humor was as unmatched as it was unforgettable.

But anyone who was familiar with Biggs will just as quickly bring to light the unconventional, open-minded and warm approach that Biggs brought to the classroom over the years, which helped cement his legendary status at Daniel.

Now with the Lions (12-0) heading into their critical third-round playoff game, the first at Singleton Field since the 1999 season, there will be a cadre of players fueled by the memory of Biggs against the visiting Demons.

The news of his death hit many players like senior defensive lineman Michael Stone hard on Wednesday, who received a text message in the evening as news began to spread of Biggs’ passing.

“It about brought a tear to my eye because he was a great teacher and always made my day,” Stone said. “He made me laugh, and if you came into his classroom, you couldn’t stay in a bad mood.”

That even went for the bleary-eyed students who had Biggs first thing in the morning, as Shrine Bowl cornerback Jerrodd Williams said he was always able to enjoy himself in art class during his freshman and sophomore years.

“He wasn’t uptight like how some teachers are, and he would joke around with you and stuff,” Williams said. “I had him first period, and I was always tired, but I could go in there and have fun.”

Despite the fact he couldn’t be found occupying his normal room on the front hall at Daniel this academic year, Biggs’ memory is still ever-present as a group of students, including senior wide receiver Marcus Greenlee, hung a poster on Thursday for students and faculty to share their memories and pass along condolences.

The Lions’ top receiver said the school has felt a huge impact in the wake of Biggs’ passing, mainly because of his unmistakable personality.

“He was always a good teacher, he always spoke his mind and he was always funny,” Greenlee said. “He never held anything back, and he was a breath of fresh air because you could express your mind freely.”

That attitude helped endear countless students to Biggs over the years, while also helping to spur the creative process with ease.

“He was always so funny and so open-minded, but he always backed the students,” senior offensive lineman Matt Cumbie said. “He always supported us, no matter what we did.”

It’s that memory that Deshaun Williams thinks will add a bit of fuel to the fire for the Lions tonight, as they look to extend the life of their stadium one more week with an appearance in the Upper State championship game next week.

“I think everybody on this team remembers him,” the sophomore defensive lineman said. “Even if you didn’t have him, you remember him for some reason, and he’ll give us a big boost to go out here and beat Lugoff.”

True to his attitude and outlook on life, a memorial service for Biggs will be followed by what he wanted to call his “going away party” on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Kresge Hall at the Clemson University Outdoor Lab.