Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546159
3 8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M How would the Iowa State contingent mesh with the returnees? Throughout the early days of the spring semester, the Lasch Building did not feel like a typical college foot- ball complex. When players and staff would walk past each other, they often wouldn't exchange pleasantries — not because they were being rude or arro- gant, but because they just didn't know each other. As days and weeks passed, the quiet atmosphere began to change. It started with smiles and nods, then came full- blown conversations in the locker room, weight room and hallways of the team's headquarters. Watching the camaraderie develop, Neal couldn't help but be relieved. The Nittany Lions were starting to feel like an actual team, and players he didn't know when he arrived a few months earlier had begun to seem like family. And to hear him tell it, it's been that way for the whole team. "I feel like guys really came out of their shell," Neal said. "It really took the first month or so. Guys started really combining and getting closer, and it's still happening as we speak. That's the biggest surprise. I was a little worried; I didn't know how fast we would be able to build those relationships. But for ev- erybody now, it really feels like home, because every single player has some type of relationship with each other, so that's really nice. "Once you start seeing guys laughing, joking around and having fun with each other, that's when you really see it. That's what stood out to me, [to feel like], all right, we're going to be just right." Lines Of Communication With that crucial building block out of the way, Penn State embarked on its winter workout regimen, followed by spring practice. That's when Neal first learned how he would fit into the defense that was being assembled by first-year coordinator D'Anton Lynn. At Iowa State, coordinator Jon Heacock had used Neal mostly as a box safety. There were times when he was essen- tially a fourth linebacker in Heacock's 3-3-5 scheme. At Penn State, Neal will have a chance to do even more. Lynn is set to imple- ment a 4-3 base with numerous 4-2-5 packages aimed at putting the best players in position to make plays from series to series, depending on how the game is going. Lynn has emphasized the importance of communication, and that works both ways. While he wants to make sure players understand the concepts and assignments they're being taught, he also wants the information to flow in the opposite direction. "One thing I like about Coach Lynn is that he's going to talk to you and he's going to let you talk back to him and tell him what you're seeing," Neal said. "He's going to do everything he can to help you out there on the field. "[The coaches'] offices are always open. Anytime I have a problem, I can ask them, give them a call, and they're going to keep it real with you and tell you what you need to do, what you're doing wrong, what you're doing right, and they're just going to try to put you in a position to make more plays." Making more plays is exactly what Neal intends to do this season. And Lynn intends to ensure that it happens. The fact that Penn State can use him like Iowa State did or as essentially a center fielder should only help matters. "We can put him down in the box," Lynn said. "He's like an extra inside Neal was a third-team All-Big 12 choice at Iowa State last year after topping the Cyclones with 11 tackles for loss and tying for the team lead with 77 stops. PHOTO COURTESY IOWA STATE ATHLETICS