Walter Neil isn’t a traditional linebacker, but he’s playing like one for K-State

Walter Neil is the type of football player that makes Kansas State’s defensive coaches fight.

Literally.

When K-State defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton evaluated Neil before the start of spring practice and placed him at nickelback, a hybrid position that will operate more as a linebacker than a defensive back next season, cornerbacks coach Van Malone objected and then issued a challenge. He wasn’t going to let Neil go that easily.

“We have had some arm wrestling contests for Walter,” Malone said. “He is playing nickel right now, who is coached by Scottie and works with the linebackers in the box quite often. But I think Walter would be a dynamic corner. He is a dynamic corner and he is a dynamic nickel. There is a constant struggle for me to be able to steal him. What I want to do is go in and get all his pads, change his number, change his name on his locker and pretend he is a new guy.

“I am excited about him playing nickel, because he gives us a dynamic player inside. But if I could ever win an arm wrestling contest I would be able to get him outside as a corner.”

Until then, Neil seems right at home in his new role. Nickelback is the position he has always played for the Wildcats, but his responsibilities are much different now than they were under the previous coaching staff.

Last year, he was a slot corner. He spent his time meeting with defensive backs, sharing ideas on how to cover small receivers. This year, he is hybrid linebacker. He still has to defend against the pass, but he also has to help stop the run and occasionally get past offensive linemen.

“He is a player who has a ton of experience,” Hazelton said. “He’s physical, he’s got good feet. He’s a guy who can play a lot of different spots for you, and right now I’m being selfish keeping him at nickel.”

That means he is working on drills alongside DaQuan Patton (6-foot-1, 221 pounds) and Justin Hughes (6-1, 229 pounds). He is still listed as a defensive back on the official roster, but tor all intents and purposes Neil (5-9, 174 pounds) is now a linebacker.

That took some getting used to.

“Sometimes I look in the mirror and think to myself, I am at the Division I level playing linebacker?” Neil said. “But it’s football. It’s all about heart.”

Neil might not look the part of a linebacker, but that doesn’t bother his teammates. Hazelton doesn’t plan to use three traditional linebackers much, if at all, in the same formation next season. He doesn’t plan to use five traditional defensive backs, either. He wants one player in the middle of those roles, capable of covering like a corner and tackling like a linebacker.

If anyone on the roster is versatile enough to pull that off, it’s Neil.

“Walt can do anything you ask him to do on the field,” senior linebacker Justin Hughes said. “We were playing last summer and he lined up at defensive end. We were all like, ‘Walt, come on, get out of there.’ And he actually got in the backfield and made a sack. Then he started running all around the field. Walt is a football player. We are going to have him in man-to-man coverage or cover three. Whatever we want him to do he is going to fit.”

Neil is already using leverage and speed to his advantage in space. Still, he has a lot to learn about his new position.

“You definitely have to toughen up a little bit,” Neil said. “I am getting used to certain drills like taking on offensive linemen and learning how to defeat blocks from running backs, stuff like that is the biggest difference. My rough hitting has definitely improved.”

Neil has worked hard to get to this point. Little was expected from him when he arrived on campus from Lawton, Okla. three years ago and spent his first year on the sideline with a redshirt. But he was a valuable special teams contributor as a freshman and then made a splash as a sophomore, finishing the season with 40 tackles in eight games.

His role will change next season. But he’s clearly ready for more. K-State assistants wouldn’t fight to coach him if he wasn’t.

This story was originally published April 2, 2019 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Walter Neil isn’t a traditional linebacker, but he’s playing like one for K-State."