Julian Neal is trying to channel his excitement into focused energy.
Julian Neal wanted to be a Seattle Seahawk. Now he is, and it's very exciting. With excitement, however, comes a flurry of nerves. Julian Neal is trying to channel his nervous energy into focused performance. He talked to the Seattle Times as rookie minicamp began a few days ago. Reporter Bob Condotta has more:
“'I mean, it was a dream come true,' said Neal, a cornerback that Seattle drafted 99th overall in the third round, of taking the field Friday for the first day of the team’s two-day minicamp at the VMAC. 'I was super nervous coming out and once I got out there, I realized like ‘I play football. I do this every day. It’s my life.'
"Neal is among eight draft picks taking part in the camp along with seven signed undrafted free agents, nine second-year players who have eligibility to take part, and 44 tryout players. Aside from first-round pick running back Jadarian Price, none may have the spotlight on them as much as Neal. That’s due not only to the intrigue of seeing if he is truly ready to step into the shoes of the departed Riq Woolen, but also to what was his enthusiastic reaction to being drafted by Seattle — punctuated by the story he told via social media of how a Seahawks hat was the only one he had on hand.
"In a roughly 22-second clip he posted after the draft, Neal revealed that plans for him to have a hat from all 32 teams available for him to wear once he got drafted went awry. Instead of personally buying all 32 hats, he said he sent his aunt out to a store to buy a hat from the one team he felt was most likely to take him — the Seahawks. Friday, when he met the media following practice, he told the story in a little more detail.
“'There was a certain company, they were supposed to send me all 32 and like two days before draft day my assistant texted me and said that it won’t be there by the weekend,' he said. 'So I was just like ‘what am I going to do?’ So the second day of the draft I was like ‘all right, I’ve got options — I can either get a couple or just get one. So I was just thinking about all my interviews and everything that I’ve been through and plus my auntie, 12 years (she’s been) a 12s fan. So I was like ‘just go get me a Seahawks hat, auntie.’ Just to get me a Seahawks one. That’s all I need.'”
Now we will see if Julian Neal is what the Seahawks need to defend their NFC and Super Bowl championships.