A precocious, quick athlete with good size, Dan had an effect on Stivers teams even before he arrived there. He ran freshman track as an 8th grader. He played varsity football all four years, and as a sophomore he was the starting end on both offense and defense for Hall of Fame Coach Jim Hanby.
In his junior year Stivers won the city championship, and Dan was All-City end on offense and defense – the only two-way player to be selected that year. A very good basketball player his efforts in that sport were curtailed by injuries. As a senior, illness and injuries resulted in his playing in just three football games, yet he still was selected second team All-City.
Dan attended the University of Chattanooga on a football scholarship, earning varsity letters in both football and basketball for the Moccasins. He then married and did not return to college. He worked seven years for the Dayton Police Department while selling insurance part time. Later, he became a partner in an insurance agency in CentervIle, Ohio until 1982, when he sold the agency.Dan then completed his career working for the Dayton Power & Light Co. until retiring in 2002.
Dan and his wife, Ruth, now reside in Liberty Township, Butler County. They are the parents of three children – Daniel, Douglas, and Denise. They have eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.