Tag: Brett Neilon

Former Trojans’ paths to professional football take fascinating turns

Tyrone Taleni and Brett Neilon are two former Trojans taking unusual paths to pro football.

USC football players who have run their race in college are trying to stick on professional rosters. The road to pro ball is smooth and paved with gold for Caleb Williams, a No. 1 pick, but for a lot of other Trojans, the path is arduous and anything-but-glamorous. Former two-year USC Trojan defensive lineman Tyrone Taleni was selected in the first round of the Canadian Football League (CFL) draft by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Brett Neilon — who did not play football in 2023 due to injuries — is trying to latch onto an NFL roster and has received a rookie minicamp invitation from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tyrone Taleni, a former USC Trojan, was the third overall pick in the CFL draft.

Taleni spent two years with the Trojans in 2022 and 2023. He had 25 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble in 12 games and nine starts. In 2022, he was selected to the All-Pac-12 Second Team.

In 2023 he was benched and used as a rotational lineman with 11 tackles in 10 games, 0.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks.

The Western Samoan native started his career with Kansas State before coming to USC.

Brett Neilon was sidelined in 2023. If healthy after the injuries which hit him hard late in the 2022 season at USC, he could provide real value to an NFL team.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.

Brett Neilon knows what kind of teammate Caleb Williams is

Brett Neilon could tell you: Caleb Williams is a great teammate.

As Caleb Williams heads to the NFL and begins his professional career with the Chicago Bears, the stories of his time at USC offer a reminder of the kind of teammate he is. We’re not talking about how skilled he is as a quarterback; we’re focusing on the kind of leader and presence he is in the locker room and how he connects with the players around him. Former USC football teammate Brett Neilon recalled one of the better-known stories about Williams: his insistence that his USC offensive line join him for the 2022 Heisman Trophy ceremony (and victory celebration) in New York:

“He covered everything,” Neilon said. “And I know he told us later when we got to hang out with him, he was like, ‘I told them basically I’m not going to the ceremony if my O-line’s not there.'”

During his acceptance speech, Williams had each of USC’s offensive linemen stand up as he called out their names. Instead of heading to a fancy dinner or making an appearance at the posh New York City establishments that sought to host the Heisman Trophy winner, Williams and his offensive line opted for a lower-key celebration.

Critics focus on minor peripheral details such as painting fingernails or crying after the Washington loss. Teammates know Caleb Williams is there for them in a meaningful way.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.

Brett Neilon, Andrew Vorhees loved playing for Caleb Williams in his Heisman Trophy season

The men who helped Caleb Williams win the Heisman were blown away by the game film this season. The admiration of these linemen for their QB shines through.

USC’s offensive linemen had a great time playing with — and for — Caleb Williams, helping him to the 2022 Heisman Trophy. You’re likely aware that Caleb invited the USC offensive line to the Heisman ceremony in New York. His gratitude to his teammates was widely apparent. It’s part of the brotherhood USC created on the offensive side of the ball this year. It was wonderful to see how these players bonded on and off the field.

The appreciation for Williams is evident in linemen Brett Neilon and Andrew Vorhees. They didn’t play in the Cotton Bowl, but after the regular season ended, they talked to ESPN about the special qualities of their Heisman quarterback:

“Blocking for him during the game, I don’t always get to see what’s doing behind me,” Neilon said. “But when I go back and watch the film, I’m like, ‘Wow, he really made a huge play here,’ when I thought it was just like a routine throw. Playing with him on the field is special, but then you rewatch that tape, you really get to see, he’s a playmaker. He’s just a gamer.”

“He’s just been incredible,” said offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees. “I think that’s why you hear that ‘H’ word thrown out. He’s been Superman out there.”

The admiration and respect Caleb Williams’ teammates have for him is, in many ways, worth more than the Heisman Trophy itself. It was and is and will remain a special part of the 2022 USC football team.

[mm-video type=video id=01gp8vjq18d6ddf89hbq playlist_id=none player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gp8vjq18d6ddf89hbq/01gp8vjq18d6ddf89hbq-d0864e4b17aec7ba70efe91ae812a9d2.jpg]

[listicle id=55420]

USC offensive line spots will change in Cotton Bowl with Brett Neilon out due to injury

#USC OL coach Josh Henson will have Justin Dedich changing positions on the Trojans’ offensive front for the #CottonBowl vs. Tulane.

The injury to center Brett Neilon means that USC offensive line coach Josh Henson must once again reshuffle the Trojans’ offensive front for the 2023 Cotton Bowl against Tulane.

Who will replace Neilon at center? We have an answer: Justin Dedich, who will move from right guard to play center.

He talked to Chris Trevino of 247Sports:

“Brett is a great center. He had a great career here. I love him so much, just a great leader, and definitely going to miss his leadership on the field,” said Dedich. “But I am moving to center. Excited for the opportunity, the position I came in playing so I’m excited to go back.

Caleb Williams and two other Trojans make AP All-America First Team

Caleb Williams, Andrew Vorhees, and Tuli Tuipulotu all made the AP All-America First Team. #USC

The USC Trojans’ massive turnaround has sent a ton of postseason awards their way.

Caleb Williams just became the eighth USC player to win the Heisman Trophy, and he did so in convincing fashion by defeating Max Duggan, CJ Stroud, and Stetson Bennett.

Moreover, three Trojan players earned AP All-American First-Team honors when the teams were revealed on Monday morning.

Unsurprisingly, Williams was the first-team QB, and guard Andrew Vorhees was the other Trojan offensive player to make the cut. On defense, Tuli Tuipulotu was named to the first team alongside potential 2023 No. 1 NFL draft pick Will Anderson of Alabama.

Here are the entire teams released by the Associated Press, courtesy of Ralph D. Russo.

Vorhees had a magnificent year for the Trojans before suffering a devastating injury which prevented him from playing in the Pac-12 title game.

Center Brett Neilon and Colorado transfer CB Mekhi Blackmon both earned third-team AP honors after they had terrific years for the Trojans.

The Trojans led all schools with three first-team selections, and that’s a huge development after they won just four games and were a complete afterthought in 2021.

What a difference a year can make, and let’s not forget that Caleb Williams is coming back in 2023 and will help in the process of educating incoming five-star QB Malachi Nelson. Things are looking really good in Los Angeles.

[mm-video type=video id=01gka0mc78xrs1z0qtrx playlist_id=none player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gka0mc78xrs1z0qtrx/01gka0mc78xrs1z0qtrx-5357f75dc515c2fef3aa78aae70f1274.jpg]

[listicle id=53979]

Brett Neilon’s storied, transformative USC career likely ends with injury against Utah

It is a near certainty that Brett Neilon, who gave #USC the ‘Neilon Nudge’ vs Oregon State, has played his last game as a Trojan. No bowl game for him, barring a miracle.

Brett Neilon has been a fixture at USC over the past several years. He has seen it all: the hopefulness of 2019 when Kedon Slovis was a promising, evolving freshman, the 2020 pandemic season, the descent to rock bottom in 2021, the hire of Lincoln Riley, the offseason optimism mixed with uncertainty about the future, then this magnificent 2022 season and its overachieving dimensions.

Neilon, a pillar of the locker room and this team’s inner circle, deserved to play in USC’s high-end bowl game. Now, after being carted off with an injury in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah, it’s likely that he has played his last game at USC. It’s hard if not impossible to think he can play in the Trojans’ bowl game.

Here’s how the USC community and national football experts reacted to his injury on Friday night against Utah: