Unsung hero on the defensive line who returns for his third season as the starter at nose tackle … a defensive playmaker who loves to do the dirty work in the trenches … All-American candidate … coaching staff will count on him for leadership … good run stopper … named all-BIG EAST preseason first team by Phil Steele’s, Athlon Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Sporting News … Dean’s List … Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll … BIG EAST Academic All-Star … bowl trips: 2007 Gator, 2008 Fiesta, 2008 Meineke, 2010 Gator.
2009 (r-Jr.): Started all 13 games … named first-team all-BIG EAST by ESPN.com, The Sporting News and rivals.com and second team by the league coaches … awarded the John Russell Award for leadership by the WVU coaching staff … saw action on more than 645 plays, including a season-high 81 against UConn … used on 50 or more plays in nine games … finished with 35 total tackles, including 13 solo stops, two tackles for loss, a pass breakup and an interception … posted four or more tackles in five games … registered three tackles against Florida State in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl … collected an assisted tackle at Rutgers … assisted on a tackle against Pitt … had a solo tackle early in the Louisville game before having to leave with an arm injury … four tackles at USF … finished with five tackles and the game-sealing interception against Connecticut … collected four tackles, including a tackle for loss against Marshall … assisted on a tackle at Syracuse … season-high six tackles, including a tackle for loss against Colorado … finished with five tackles, including three solo tackles at Auburn … assisted on two tackles against East Carolina and Liberty.
2008 (r-So.): Started all 13 games … awarded the Ideal Mountaineer Man by the coaching staff … WVU Defensive Champion: East Carolina, Rutgers, Auburn, Connecticut … used on more than 710 plays, including a season-high 64 at Colorado … saw action in 50 or more plays in nine games … posted the most tackles among the defensive linemen and ninth among the defense with 47, including 17 solo stops, 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss … also had a forced fumble and a pass breakup … career high eight tackles against Auburn … five tackles, including one for loss at Pitt … four tackles against USF … two tackles, including a tackle for loss and a forced fumble at Connecticut … four tackles, including a sack and a pass breakup against Cincinnati … six tackles, including three unassisted tackles against Rutgers … five tackles at East Carolina … two tackles against North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
2007 (r-Fr.): Primary backup to Keilen Dykes at the nose tackle position … played in 11 games and started two … saw action on more than 225 plays, including a season-high 44 plays against Mississippi State … used in 41 plays at Rutgers …. registered 13 tackles, including eight solo tackles … assisted on a sack … season-high three tackles with two solo stops against Mississippi State … two tackles against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, East Carolina, Louisville and Cincinnati.
2006 (Fr.): Redshirted.
Prep: Three-year letterwinner for Coach Fred Ross at Stroudsburg High … helped lead the Mountaineers to back-to-back conference championships ... All-Mountain Valley Conference and Pocono Record All-Area ... second team Class AAAA all-state ... finished with 86 tackles, 16 TFL, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles as a senior ... WNEP Super 16 ... Keystone first team all-state ... also a three-year letterwinner in basketball and weightlifting.
Personal: Birthday is Dec. 1 ... son of Robert and Cathy Neild ... one of two children … majoring in multidisciplinary studies.
