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Quashawn Nealy was an integral part of the Yellow Jackets’ 2014 run to an ACC Coastal Division crown, spot in the conference title game and a victory in the Orange Bowl over Mississippi State.
Named as a second-team All-ACC linebacker by the media and third-team All-ACC by the coaches this past season, Nealy is now gearing up to showoff his skills to scouts at the annual Georgia Tech Pro Day this Friday, March 13th.
A four-year starter for Coach Paul Johnson, Nealy came to the Georgia Tech program in 2010 as a highly sought after recruit from Lakeland, Florida. Suffice it to say, following a redshirt in 2010, he has not disappointed the coaching staff or fan base around The Flats.
In his senior campaign alone, Nealy racked up 90 total tackles (55 solo, six for loss), 1.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a couple of defensive touchdowns for the 11-3 Yellow Jackets.
Oct 25, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Quayshawn Nealy (54) breaks off of the line of scrimmage against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. Georgia Tech won 56-28. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Though he was not one of the participants at the 2015 NFL Combine, Nealy was invited and took part in this year’s 90th annual East-West Shrine Game back on January 17th, helping the East team hold the West to just three points and 93 yards of total offense.
Nealy is somewhat lacking in size (6’1″, 235 lbs.) and overall athleticism, but he more than makes up for that with an elite level of on-field intelligence and play-recognition ability. In addition, the Georgia Tech grad is a ball hawk that excels in pass coverage from his position. Nealy has also procured a reputation as a relentless worker and film junkie, which only serves to further endear him to NFL prognosticators.
As far as the 2015 NFL Draft is concerned, the best-case scenario for Nealy is likely as a late-5th or 6th round selection. He will be given a chance to improve that stock on Friday the 13th. The safe bet is that Nealy does just that.