 Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Horton graduated in 2002 from Cedar Hill High School in Cedar Hill, a suburb of Dallas, Texas and was named to the 2002 McDonald's High School All-American team.His brother is Jason Horton, that went to Missouri and has now graduated and is waiting to go play professionally.In 2004 two years after Daniel graduated Jason lead the Cedar Hill Longhorns to the state championship.