The month of May presented a slew of new opportunities for Keanu Neal as he began his career as an Atlanta Falcon.
While cultivating relationships with his new teammates and coaching staff, he also invested time in developing a relationship with someone outside of the Falcons' locker room, a person who understands the nuances of Neal's job better than anyone else in the NFL.
Neal happened to glance down at his phone one day and noticed he had received a direct message on Twitter from Seattle safety and four-time Pro Bowler, Kam Chancellor.
"He asked if I wanted to come up and train with him and a few other guys," Neal said of how the invitation from Chancellor came about. "He likes to find guys and teach them. He likes to share the knowledge that he has, he's big on giving back."
An opportunity to train with the player Neal habitually watched tape of? It was a no brainer for the 20-year-old.
Neal and Arizona Cardinals' safety Deone Bucannon joined Chancellor in Virginia Beach, Va. where they are currently working out together.
Atlanta's first-round pick is focused on fine-tuning the details of his game, and he's well on his way as he's learning from the best.
"If you watch his game closely, you'll see that he's always in position," Neal said of Chancellor. "He's able to really level linemen, backs and receivers. That's one thing I really noticed about him and one thing I want to get better at in my game. He's taught me a lot about the technique he uses as far as hand placement, and just little small details that a lot of people forget about."
Chancellor has provided Neal the guidance to not only improve his game from a technical standpoint, but also the mental side.
"It's all about having will power," Neal said of what he's learned from training with Chancellor. "There's a lot of talent in the NFL, but what separates the good from the great is their will power. Having that grit and that want no matter what. That's definitely one thing I am going to carry with [me] for the rest of my career."
