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When you set a goal, you challenge yourself to complete that goal. Only you have the power to achieve that goal, and, for Evan Neal, giving up on a goal he set out to achieve at a young age wasn’t an option. Neal, a former IMG football student-athlete, focused and worked hard, and he's now heading to the NFL to play for the New York Giants after being drafted seventh overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Evan’s journey to the pros started at an early age. “He never started something he couldn’t finish,” says Sheila Neal, Evan’s mother. “We kind of raised him with that. You have to finish.” This mindset became a driving force for a young Neal, who, as a ten-year-old football player, was already taller than some of his coaches.
Being big at a young age also inspired Evan to become a leader. This feat didn’t go unnoticed by Billy Miller, IMG’s national football head coach. “The biggest improvement from Evan was from his sophomore year to his senior year,” Miller explains. “He was a vocal leader. He did everything the right way and led by example.”
After a successful run at IMG and playing for Alabama, Evan’s next step was the NFL. His family joined him in Las Vegas for the Draft. “In the green room, my feelings were going everywhere,” says Eddie Neal, Evan’s brother. “No doubt in my mind that he wasn't going to go in the top ten. That was probably the most nerve-wracking feeling. But Evan was composed and chill.”
Evan’s NFL journey is just beginning, and he’s ready for the next challenge. “It’s something that meant a lot to me,” he says. “Thus far in my football journey, everything I said I was going to accomplish, I accomplished.”
Watch the video to see Evan Neal achieve his dreams of playing in the NFL. To sign up for a football camp, or to learn more about other offerings from IMG Academy, click on the links below.
