Following in Footsteps of DeShawn Shead, Ryan Neal 'Grateful' For Role With Seahawks

RENTON, WA - Ryan Neal nearly left the game of football behind last year. Then, all of a sudden, he was starting games for a Super Bowl contender. 

"Last year taught me a lot," Neal told reporters on Thursday. "It taught me how to be a pro. You know, just coming to work every day, doing my film study, doing the extra studying after work hours. Taking care of my body, which was probably the biggest lesson I learned 'cause that was the first time I had to go out and play a couple games and play a whole season since I've been in the league."

When Jamal Adams left the Seahawks' Week 3 matchup against the Cowboys with a groin injury last year, Neal's number was called. The ball quickly found him, sealing a 38-31 Seattle victory with an interception of Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott in the end zone. 

Adams wound up missing the next four games, placing Neal into the starting strong safety role in the All-Pro's absence. With big shoes to fill, the 25-year old proved more than capable of stepping up. He'd reel in another pick in his first start against the Dolphins the following week, catching a deflected pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

It wouldn't be until his second start, however, that he would truly learn about the importance of accountability and self-care.

"I was just talking to [Seahawks defensive backs coach DeShawn] Shead on the sideline and said, 'The worst thing than being yelled at by your coaches is being yelled at by your teammates,'" Neal explained. "And that's something you don't ever, ever want to have on your back. So just learning how to be on my stuff so I can be accountable so they can count on me, that was the biggest thing I learned from last year. 

"For me, it was after the Minnesota game. They came out and was run-heavy. And I mean, I'm taking on tight ends that easily have more weight than me. After the game, I felt like I was hit by a semi-truck, man. It was fast, it was rough out there. But that was the game right there that was, like, 'Alright, you gotta take care of your body, know your stuff and bring it. Bring your A-game 'cause it's for real out here.' So yeah, that was probably the game that taught me the most."

In that Sunday night bout with the Vikings, Neal recorded eight tackles, including two for a loss, and a pass deflection. The Seahawks won in the final seconds on a fourth-down touchdown connection between Russell Wilson and DK Metcalf, catapulting the team to its first 5-0 start in franchise history. In all, Seattle went 3-1 with Neal as a starter. 

Once Adams returned, the Southern Illinois alum had left such an impression on his team that he carved out a role for himself in nickel and dime looks. But special teams was where he truly left his mark from that point forward, most notably blocking a punt that went for a safety in the Seahawks' 17-12 loss to the Giants in Week 13. 

Fast forward to present day and Neal will once again have to make his contributions on special teams. But staying ready for his moment is of the utmost importance because, as he learned last year, it could come at any given second. 

"My plan is always be available whenever, however," Neal said of his focus heading into 2021. "Whenever I'm needed, wherever I'm needed—I don't really care. As long as I get my chance to, you know, prove to the organization, prove to my brothers I am who I am. I make plays, I run around and make things happen. And I play fast, whether it be on defense, whether it be in dime, whether it be on kickoff, punt, special teams—I don't really care where. When [I'm] on the field, you should have your antennas up 'cause [I know] how to get to the ball."

A former undrafted free agent signing, Neal is grateful for the sole fact he now has a clear, defined role with an NFL team, no matter what it entails.

"I'm grateful for it because there was a point in time I wished I was on special teams," Neal expressed. "I just wanted to be a part of the team, you know, being on practice squad. And I know a lot of guys who will attest to this: you're there on game day, you're on the sideline but whether they win, lose or draw you don't necessarily feel a part of it even though you're in the preparation and you're given the looks. But just being out there when war is going on, you want to be in that mix too. 

"Like, I want to come off the field, blood on my jersey too. I want to feel tired, I want to feel sore. And that was just the one thing I was always hungry for, so it never mattered to me."

With the overwhelming nature of his situation rushing over him, Neal turned to linebacker K.J. Wright for guidance. But as he prepares for the upcoming season, he no longer has his "mentor" to lean on in practice, with Wright still roaming the free agent market and no indication of a reunion with Seattle on the horizon. 

"Man, I miss him dearly," Neal spoke of Wright. "That was my teacher, that was my mentor. When I did end up getting the starting job and the gameplan was just coming fast at me and I'm just sitting here going, 'Okay, this is not making any sense' and [I] hit K.J. one day and he was like, 'I'm up here [at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center] at six in the morning on Thursdays if you can get here.' So I'll come up there at six in the morning and K.J. is going through film just teaching me how he sees the game, teaching me how to do my drops and just what to see, what to look at, what to key. And that was my guy, man, that was my teacher, so I miss him a lot."

With Wright gone, Neal continues to emphasize improving his football IQ and is now soaking up information from former Seahawks defensive back and current defensive assistant DeShawn Shead. Like Neal, Shead played both cornerback and safety and paid his dues as a core special teamer as a member of Seattle's championship-winning teams. 

In head coach Pete Carroll's domain, "the more you can do," the more valuable you become. Shead embodied that in his playing career and Neal is looking to follow in his footsteps.

"Really learning the foundation of building chemistry," Neal responded when asked what he's gathered from Shead. "I think that's one thing I get from him. Because I ask him all the time, 'What was [the Legion of Boom's] room like? Like, what was that magic like, you know, with that whole L.O.B. thing?' We talk about it all the time; it was their team. They didn't wait on coaches telling them what to do, it was from the inside out. And Bobby [Wagner] and K.J. said the same thing. So hearing it from another point of view, another perspective, that's what I get from Shead—just how to build that foundation of the chemistry in our room."