Bruce Wayne
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Senior Appreciation: http://4te.ch/seniors2014
Mr. Nealy of Lakeland Florida was rated as a 3* outside linebacker when Coach Brian Jean-Mary recruited him to Tech from Lakeland HS. Coming out of HS Nealy was named a member of the Florida 2010 Varsity Top 100 and earned a number of Florida state honors. Nealy had a slew of scholarship offers including UVA, Michigan, Louisville, Miss St, and UGA.
As a true Freshman at Tech Nealy redshirted. It was probably a hard call for coaches as in his redshirt freshman year of 2011 he played in all 13 games and started 7 before becoming a three year starter for his remaining seasons. His 2011 highlights included 5 solo tackles and an interception against Maryland and a 74 yard pick-6 against Utah in the Sun Bowl. In 2012 Nealy ranked 4th on the team with 79 tackles including a career high of 12 against Maryland (Q did not fear the Turtle). He also earned ACC LB of the week honors for a 2 sack game against UNC and once again made an interception in the Sun Bowl, this time against USC (read about it here). As a Junior in 2013 Quayshawn again showed off his penchant for takeaways with 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries, including one of each (with the fumble recovery being run back for a TD) against Syracuse. The Syracuse paper was so impressed by Nealy’s performance that he was featured by Michael Cohen. Nealy even stepped up his performance in the bigger games of the season: 9 tackles (7 solo) with 3 for loss at Clemson; 10 tackles (8 solo) against UGA; and 9 tackles against Ole Miss in the Music City Bowl.
Given his junior campaign Nealy came into the 2014 season with a good bit of hype. He was named All-ACC 2nd team by the media and 3rd team by the coaches as well as featured at number 16 on the ACC’s list of players to watch (seen in a video below). His teammates also expected great things from him as they named him a team captain and he was clearly the leader on defense as well as the face of the unit to the media.
Fans typically downplay preseason talk from coaches and players as simply repeating itself year to year no matter the later results. But when one goes back and looks at what was said with the benefit of hindsight, then exchanges such as this one from the ACC media days--as reported by the AJC’s Ken Suguira--read differently: Nealy “was effusive in his praise for the team’s work in summer strength and conditioning workouts. ‘We’ve just been working on trying to finish this summer, because as a whole we realized that in all our games that we missed out on big opportunities because we just didn’t finish plays or finish the game,’ Nealy said. Three games most unsettling to Nealy in that regard were losses to Virginia Tech, Miami and Georgia. Nealy said he has seen the improved effort in sprints, for instance. Where players previously coasted through runs at the end of a set of sprints, just trying to beat the prescribed times, they have pushed themselves more to give maximal effort. ‘That’s when we look at each other and leaders pick the rest of the team up, say something to get ’em going, to push our bodies past the limit of what they’re normally used to,’ he said.”
Quayshawn did not disappoint his teammates or the fans, instead he lived up to the role of team leader and Captain. The 2014 Jackets went on to win all three of the games he considered to have been lost opportunities in the season before. Nealy recorded 90 tackles (55 solo) 6 for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 interceptions (one pick-6) and led the team with 3 recovered fumbles including one as a scoop and score. He again stepped up in the biggest games: 10 tackles (3 solo) and a half-sack against Clemson; 9 tackles, a pass break-up, and a TD-saving forced fumble against UGA; and 6 tackles with a pass break-up against FSU. Nealy ended his football career at Tech ranked 17th in career tackles by a linebacker with 287.
He also ended his career pictured on the side of a bus at the Orange Bowl in his native Florida: “‘It’s a great honor to be on there and represent Georgia Tech,’ he said. ‘And then to be down here in Florida, back in my home state and finish exactly where I started, it’s a great feeling, and I look forward to finishing on a good note.’” The Jackets finished on a great note in Nealy's final game by winning the Orange Bowl. He contributed 2 solo tackles and a pass break-up. The latter was a big one on 3rd and goal in the 4th quarter to help squelch any chance at a late game comeback by Mississippi State.
In reviewing Nealy's career as a student-athlete at Georgia Tech, however, it is vital to keep in mind that he was a student-athlete at Georgia Tech. At least as important as his on-field accomplishments is the effort he put into his studies and being graduated, including making the Dean's List in the fall of 2012 and earning a degree in Management. Nealy recognized how special leaving Tech by the front door is by tweeting “A lot of people can’t say they made it out but WE DID!”
Honors
* 2014 ACC Second Team (Media)
* 2014 ACC ThirdTeam (Coaches)
* ACC Linebacker of the Week (11.10.14)
* ACC Linebacker of the Week (10.21.13)
* 2013 Preseason First Team All-ACC (Athlon)
* 2013 Preseason Third Team All-ACC (Phil Steele)
* 2012 ACCLinebacker of the Week (11.12.12)
Career Highs
Tackles: 12 at Maryland, Nov. 3, 2012
TFL: 3.0 at Clemson, Nov. 14, 2013
Sacks: 2.0 at North Carolina, Nov. 10, 2012
FF: 1, at Georgia, Nov. 29, 2014
FR: 2, at Pitt, Oct. 25, 2014
Long Fumble Return: 43(td)at NC State, Nov. 8, 2014
PB: 2, vs. Miami, Oct. 4, 2014
INT: 1, eighttimes, last atNC State, Nov. 8, 2014
Long INT Return: 74 (td) vs. Utah, Dec. 31, 2011
Mr. Nealy of Lakeland Florida was rated as a 3* outside linebacker when Coach Brian Jean-Mary recruited him to Tech from Lakeland HS. Coming out of HS Nealy was named a member of the Florida 2010 Varsity Top 100 and earned a number of Florida state honors. Nealy had a slew of scholarship offers including UVA, Michigan, Louisville, Miss St, and UGA.
As a true Freshman at Tech Nealy redshirted. It was probably a hard call for coaches as in his redshirt freshman year of 2011 he played in all 13 games and started 7 before becoming a three year starter for his remaining seasons. His 2011 highlights included 5 solo tackles and an interception against Maryland and a 74 yard pick-6 against Utah in the Sun Bowl. In 2012 Nealy ranked 4th on the team with 79 tackles including a career high of 12 against Maryland (Q did not fear the Turtle). He also earned ACC LB of the week honors for a 2 sack game against UNC and once again made an interception in the Sun Bowl, this time against USC (read about it here). As a Junior in 2013 Quayshawn again showed off his penchant for takeaways with 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries, including one of each (with the fumble recovery being run back for a TD) against Syracuse. The Syracuse paper was so impressed by Nealy’s performance that he was featured by Michael Cohen. Nealy even stepped up his performance in the bigger games of the season: 9 tackles (7 solo) with 3 for loss at Clemson; 10 tackles (8 solo) against UGA; and 9 tackles against Ole Miss in the Music City Bowl.
Given his junior campaign Nealy came into the 2014 season with a good bit of hype. He was named All-ACC 2nd team by the media and 3rd team by the coaches as well as featured at number 16 on the ACC’s list of players to watch (seen in a video below). His teammates also expected great things from him as they named him a team captain and he was clearly the leader on defense as well as the face of the unit to the media.
Fans typically downplay preseason talk from coaches and players as simply repeating itself year to year no matter the later results. But when one goes back and looks at what was said with the benefit of hindsight, then exchanges such as this one from the ACC media days--as reported by the AJC’s Ken Suguira--read differently: Nealy “was effusive in his praise for the team’s work in summer strength and conditioning workouts. ‘We’ve just been working on trying to finish this summer, because as a whole we realized that in all our games that we missed out on big opportunities because we just didn’t finish plays or finish the game,’ Nealy said. Three games most unsettling to Nealy in that regard were losses to Virginia Tech, Miami and Georgia. Nealy said he has seen the improved effort in sprints, for instance. Where players previously coasted through runs at the end of a set of sprints, just trying to beat the prescribed times, they have pushed themselves more to give maximal effort. ‘That’s when we look at each other and leaders pick the rest of the team up, say something to get ’em going, to push our bodies past the limit of what they’re normally used to,’ he said.”
Quayshawn did not disappoint his teammates or the fans, instead he lived up to the role of team leader and Captain. The 2014 Jackets went on to win all three of the games he considered to have been lost opportunities in the season before. Nealy recorded 90 tackles (55 solo) 6 for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 interceptions (one pick-6) and led the team with 3 recovered fumbles including one as a scoop and score. He again stepped up in the biggest games: 10 tackles (3 solo) and a half-sack against Clemson; 9 tackles, a pass break-up, and a TD-saving forced fumble against UGA; and 6 tackles with a pass break-up against FSU. Nealy ended his football career at Tech ranked 17th in career tackles by a linebacker with 287.
He also ended his career pictured on the side of a bus at the Orange Bowl in his native Florida: “‘It’s a great honor to be on there and represent Georgia Tech,’ he said. ‘And then to be down here in Florida, back in my home state and finish exactly where I started, it’s a great feeling, and I look forward to finishing on a good note.’” The Jackets finished on a great note in Nealy's final game by winning the Orange Bowl. He contributed 2 solo tackles and a pass break-up. The latter was a big one on 3rd and goal in the 4th quarter to help squelch any chance at a late game comeback by Mississippi State.
In reviewing Nealy's career as a student-athlete at Georgia Tech, however, it is vital to keep in mind that he was a student-athlete at Georgia Tech. At least as important as his on-field accomplishments is the effort he put into his studies and being graduated, including making the Dean's List in the fall of 2012 and earning a degree in Management. Nealy recognized how special leaving Tech by the front door is by tweeting “A lot of people can’t say they made it out but WE DID!”
Honors
* 2014 ACC Second Team (Media)
* 2014 ACC ThirdTeam (Coaches)
* ACC Linebacker of the Week (11.10.14)
* ACC Linebacker of the Week (10.21.13)
* 2013 Preseason First Team All-ACC (Athlon)
* 2013 Preseason Third Team All-ACC (Phil Steele)
* 2012 ACCLinebacker of the Week (11.12.12)
Career Highs
Tackles: 12 at Maryland, Nov. 3, 2012
TFL: 3.0 at Clemson, Nov. 14, 2013
Sacks: 2.0 at North Carolina, Nov. 10, 2012
FF: 1, at Georgia, Nov. 29, 2014
FR: 2, at Pitt, Oct. 25, 2014
Long Fumble Return: 43(td)at NC State, Nov. 8, 2014
PB: 2, vs. Miami, Oct. 4, 2014
INT: 1, eighttimes, last atNC State, Nov. 8, 2014
Long INT Return: 74 (td) vs. Utah, Dec. 31, 2011
