Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
McNeil ending his six season journey
12/18/2015 5:30:00 PM | Football
Member of winningest FBS senior class
MURFREESBORO – MT senior defensive tackle Patrick McNeil became a Blue Raider in 2010.
Almost six years later, McNeil is prepared to finish his Blue Raider journey.
McNeil has played in five seasons for the Blue Raiders, and also received an additional year of eligibility due to an injury.
Headed into the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, McNeil has collected 90 total tackles, 7.5 TFLs, one forced fumble and four sacks throughout his Middle Tennessee career.
MT Athletics beat writer Connor Grott talked with McNeil about his Blue Raider career, and what he hopes to accomplish in his final bowl game.
Q: You've been here six years now, and have been bowl eligible five times out of those six years. How has your Blue Raider career really turned out?
McNeil: It's turned out amazing, and it's just a testament to the program. [MT head coach Rick] Stockstill always has a group of guys that have great leadership and get the job done to be bowl eligible. I know it doesn't work out some of the times, but it's the fact of the matter that we become bowl eligible after putting in so much work.
Q: You're also a member of the winningest senior class in MT's FBS era with 29 victories. What's it been like to be a part of that 2015 class?
McNeil: It's something amazing when you sit back and think about it, man. When I first got here, I heard a lot about the 2009 class and the leadership they had. For us to be the winningest class, that's just something great to be a part of.
Q: How have you felt about your senior season so far?
McNeil: I feel like I've made great strides as a player, and we've made strides as a team. The leadership of this team carried it a long way and got me and everyone to where we are now.
Q: With all of the injuries that have plagued you, is the Bahamas Bowl a culmination of your hard work?
McNeil: Yeah, man. It's a blessing from God. It's been a long road and those injuries seem like they were so long ago. It's a great way to end my MT career, though, in the Bahamas.
Q: How excited are you for the Bahamas Bowl?
McNeil: I'm really excited. It's just a blessing to be practicing in December and actually having a game. A lot of my colleagues and friends are at home right now, so it's a blessing to go out and showcase on national television in a place like the Bahamas.
Q: Being snubbed so many times from a bowl game, does that put a chip on your shoulder for this bowl game?
McNeil: I think, just being Middle Tennessee, that's who we are. We always have a chip on our shoulder. We've got a good group of rough guys, and we've just always had that mindset to play our hardest.
Q: What's the first thing you're going to do when you get to the Bahamas?
McNeil: I don't know, man. [Laughs …] I'm just going to gather myself with Kevin Byard, Derious Bennett, T.T. Barber and some others and just soak it all in because it'll be the last time being with each other. I want to enjoy all the moments and see and do as much as I can do out there, and then go out there and win. Because it's still a business trip at the end of the day.
Q: Does this bowl game mean more to you than any previous bowl game, like the Armed Forces Bowl in 2013?
McNeil: It does mean more to me, just because it's my last one. That holds a lot of weight with me, but that Armed Forces Bowl was pretty special, too. That was a special group of guys, when you consider Jimmy Staten, Logan Kilgore, just a bunch of hardworking guys that set the foundation for what we're doing right now.
Q: What's been your favorite moment in your senior season so far?
McNeil: When we got those gray jerseys [against FIU], and when we blocked that field goal against Marshall to win the game. If you know anybody around here, when we first got those black helmets I was the one most excited about those. I like looking good and playing good. But Marshall, they were a good opponent and all the hype was built around them, and we were the ones to put it away.
Q: What have you seen on film about Western Michigan?
McNeil: They're really good up front. They have good quarterbacks, and sometimes they like to play two quarterbacks. It's going to be a great challenge for us, because they really match up with us. They're almost like the Middle Tennessee of the MAC.
Q: What's next for you after the Bahamas Bowl?
McNeil: Hopefully I can have a shot at playing in the NFL. I'll have to get it going and start training for the MT Pro Day, and hopefully get into an offseason senior game and see where it goes from there.
Almost six years later, McNeil is prepared to finish his Blue Raider journey.
McNeil has played in five seasons for the Blue Raiders, and also received an additional year of eligibility due to an injury.
Headed into the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, McNeil has collected 90 total tackles, 7.5 TFLs, one forced fumble and four sacks throughout his Middle Tennessee career.
MT Athletics beat writer Connor Grott talked with McNeil about his Blue Raider career, and what he hopes to accomplish in his final bowl game.
Q: You've been here six years now, and have been bowl eligible five times out of those six years. How has your Blue Raider career really turned out?
McNeil: It's turned out amazing, and it's just a testament to the program. [MT head coach Rick] Stockstill always has a group of guys that have great leadership and get the job done to be bowl eligible. I know it doesn't work out some of the times, but it's the fact of the matter that we become bowl eligible after putting in so much work.
Q: You're also a member of the winningest senior class in MT's FBS era with 29 victories. What's it been like to be a part of that 2015 class?
McNeil: It's something amazing when you sit back and think about it, man. When I first got here, I heard a lot about the 2009 class and the leadership they had. For us to be the winningest class, that's just something great to be a part of.
Q: How have you felt about your senior season so far?
McNeil: I feel like I've made great strides as a player, and we've made strides as a team. The leadership of this team carried it a long way and got me and everyone to where we are now.
Q: With all of the injuries that have plagued you, is the Bahamas Bowl a culmination of your hard work?
McNeil: Yeah, man. It's a blessing from God. It's been a long road and those injuries seem like they were so long ago. It's a great way to end my MT career, though, in the Bahamas.
Q: How excited are you for the Bahamas Bowl?
McNeil: I'm really excited. It's just a blessing to be practicing in December and actually having a game. A lot of my colleagues and friends are at home right now, so it's a blessing to go out and showcase on national television in a place like the Bahamas.
Q: Being snubbed so many times from a bowl game, does that put a chip on your shoulder for this bowl game?
McNeil: I think, just being Middle Tennessee, that's who we are. We always have a chip on our shoulder. We've got a good group of rough guys, and we've just always had that mindset to play our hardest.
Q: What's the first thing you're going to do when you get to the Bahamas?
McNeil: I don't know, man. [Laughs …] I'm just going to gather myself with Kevin Byard, Derious Bennett, T.T. Barber and some others and just soak it all in because it'll be the last time being with each other. I want to enjoy all the moments and see and do as much as I can do out there, and then go out there and win. Because it's still a business trip at the end of the day.
Q: Does this bowl game mean more to you than any previous bowl game, like the Armed Forces Bowl in 2013?
McNeil: It does mean more to me, just because it's my last one. That holds a lot of weight with me, but that Armed Forces Bowl was pretty special, too. That was a special group of guys, when you consider Jimmy Staten, Logan Kilgore, just a bunch of hardworking guys that set the foundation for what we're doing right now.
Q: What's been your favorite moment in your senior season so far?
McNeil: When we got those gray jerseys [against FIU], and when we blocked that field goal against Marshall to win the game. If you know anybody around here, when we first got those black helmets I was the one most excited about those. I like looking good and playing good. But Marshall, they were a good opponent and all the hype was built around them, and we were the ones to put it away.
Q: What have you seen on film about Western Michigan?
McNeil: They're really good up front. They have good quarterbacks, and sometimes they like to play two quarterbacks. It's going to be a great challenge for us, because they really match up with us. They're almost like the Middle Tennessee of the MAC.
Q: What's next for you after the Bahamas Bowl?
McNeil: Hopefully I can have a shot at playing in the NFL. I'll have to get it going and start training for the MT Pro Day, and hopefully get into an offseason senior game and see where it goes from there.
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