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Joined the board to add (more than) a few thoughts from a KU football fan. I could not be more thrilled to see Devin get drafted, and I just want Saints fans to know how special Devin is. I’ve been fortunate to be living in the KC area for a golden era of sports – Royals World Series title, Chiefs Super Bowls, KU basketball national championship. I have rooted for a lot of special athletes. Devin Neal might just be my favorite of them all. KU football fans have been about as beaten down as you can possibly imagine the last 15 years or so. When Mangino got fired in 2009, these were the win totals for all the seasons of the next four failed coaches: 3, 2, 1, 3, 3, 0, 2, 1, 3, 3, and then 0-9 in a COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Les Miles was fired, and Devin Neal was a senior at Lawrence High School, located about 5 minutes from KU. He was a 4-star recruit and certainly had lots of opportunities to go elsewhere, chase wins, a straighter path to the NFL, and probably much more NIL money. Instead, he stayed home and vowed to help turn the program around. Part of me almost felt bad for how naïve he was. I had long given up on the program ever being turned around. But he was resolute, representative of his extremely high character and reflective of how well he was raised (rest assured, you will never hear a single word off-the-field about Devin Neal other than his constant investment of time and money into the community).
In 2021, there were flickers of optimism in the program, largely driven by Neal. KU battled and lost a close one at home against #3 Oklahoma and Caleb Williams, with a true freshman Neal contributing 100 yards and 2 TDs. But it was still a loss, and we were still left wondering if it was more of the same. Then, KU broke through late in the season with a win at Texas, ending a humiliating 56-game Big 12 road losing streak – and once again, Neal was the hero with 170 yards and 4 TDs.
Neal would continue to drive the program to new heights over the next three seasons – top 25 rankings, hosting College Gameday, 2 bowl appearances, three consecutive wins over ranked teams in 2024. The win totals don’t pop out at you in his last three seasons (6 wins, 9 wins, 5 wins), but his impact cannot possibly be understated. He took a program that was truly dead. Dead. And he elevated it back to respectability. Set the all-time rushing yards and rushing TD records. Revived fan interest enough to get the entire stadium rebuild funded. And all the while, he represented the state of Kansas with pride and never once considered leaving for greener pastures, even in the transfer portal era. I have never in my life been so proud to see someone get drafted in any sport. He doesn’t quite have breakaway speed, but his elusiveness is something to behold. I am so hopeful he will carve out a role for himself in the seasons to come. NFL careers are short, especially for late round draft picks, so the odds aren’t in his favor. But Devin Neal is not someone I would bet against.
Les Miles was fired, and Devin Neal was a senior at Lawrence High School, located about 5 minutes from KU. He was a 4-star recruit and certainly had lots of opportunities to go elsewhere, chase wins, a straighter path to the NFL, and probably much more NIL money. Instead, he stayed home and vowed to help turn the program around. Part of me almost felt bad for how naïve he was. I had long given up on the program ever being turned around. But he was resolute, representative of his extremely high character and reflective of how well he was raised (rest assured, you will never hear a single word off-the-field about Devin Neal other than his constant investment of time and money into the community).
In 2021, there were flickers of optimism in the program, largely driven by Neal. KU battled and lost a close one at home against #3 Oklahoma and Caleb Williams, with a true freshman Neal contributing 100 yards and 2 TDs. But it was still a loss, and we were still left wondering if it was more of the same. Then, KU broke through late in the season with a win at Texas, ending a humiliating 56-game Big 12 road losing streak – and once again, Neal was the hero with 170 yards and 4 TDs.
Neal would continue to drive the program to new heights over the next three seasons – top 25 rankings, hosting College Gameday, 2 bowl appearances, three consecutive wins over ranked teams in 2024. The win totals don’t pop out at you in his last three seasons (6 wins, 9 wins, 5 wins), but his impact cannot possibly be understated. He took a program that was truly dead. Dead. And he elevated it back to respectability. Set the all-time rushing yards and rushing TD records. Revived fan interest enough to get the entire stadium rebuild funded. And all the while, he represented the state of Kansas with pride and never once considered leaving for greener pastures, even in the transfer portal era. I have never in my life been so proud to see someone get drafted in any sport. He doesn’t quite have breakaway speed, but his elusiveness is something to behold. I am so hopeful he will carve out a role for himself in the seasons to come. NFL careers are short, especially for late round draft picks, so the odds aren’t in his favor. But Devin Neal is not someone I would bet against.
