Vaqueros Football team practice at the Vaquero Performance Center Aug. 14. Picture by Sebastián Espino
For TJ Neal, football has been a journey of constant change. From playing high school footballin Wichita, Kansas, to competing at different levels of college football, Neal has experiencedplenty of transitions. Now, after arriving at UTRGV through the transfer portal, he is ready tocontinue his journey with a program that is still making its own history.
After graduating from high school, Neal attended Washburn University and later continued his career through other stops before entering the transfer portal and eventually finding his way to the Rio Grande Valley.
Neal said every transition brought a new challenge and showed him how much the competition could change.
“It was a big one. You know, first coming out of high school, went to Washburn University. Iplayed some guys who are now playing pro ball, so, you know, the difference in the talent isdrastic, and, you know, even going D2, to Juco (junior college) to now, it’s constant changes,”he said.
Coming to UTRGV presented a different kind of transition.Instead of joining an established football program with years of history, Neal became part of ateam still building its foundation.
He said deciding to come to the Valley was something hethought carefully about with his family.After one season with the Vaqueros, Neal said the experience has made him confident about whatthe future can hold for both himself and the program.
“Everything’s ran here like a professional,” he said. “And so, with it being the second year,and honestly, a team surrounded by professionals, ran like professionals, I’m ready to go, justexcited and happy that I continue to get better.”
For Neal football is about more than what happens on the field. He said his faith, his wife and his family are some of the biggest sources of motivation in his life. Neal also said he enjoys seeing the relationships between his teammates grow, especially outside of football.
“I think one of the things that excite me the most is just seeing the team come together, andespecially, like, religious lives, seeing some teammates come to God, get baptized, and justseeing that brotherhood bond, and our Bible study group growing each time,”he said.
Now entering the program’s second season, Neal has high expectations for the Vaqueros. He wants the defense to become one of the best in the FCS while helping the team compete for a conference championship and a spot in the playoffs. Personally, Neal hopes to create at least five turnovers and become a difference-maker for the team.
From Wichita, Kansas, to the Rio Grande Valley, Neal’s journey has been filled with change. But as he continues to grow both on and off the field, he is now looking forward to helping a young UTRGV program take its next step forward.
This is Sebastian Espino for Vaquero Radio
