Play Every Play
	Tulane Senior Linebacker Daniel Nevil Makes the Most of Himself
By John Sudsbury, Associate Director of Media Relations
Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work. --Thomas Edison
Every Tuesday at his weekly press conference, Tulane Head Coach Chris Scelfo is apt to say, "The most important game of the season is this week, because it's the one we've got next." The line - which has almost become a cliché - usually draws a chuckle, or at least a smile, from the assembled media. But if there's anyone who has lived those words, it's Green Wave senior defensive end Daniel Nevil.
A leader on and off the field for the Tulane football team, Nevil embodies hard work. In the weight room, he established himself as the strongest player on the team; in the classroom, he has achieved Conference USA Academic Honor Roll recognition and is on track to graduate in May; on the field, he piled up 112 tackles as a sophomore linebacker.
Perhaps the best example of his willingness to work came this past summer. After an injury-riddled junior campaign, the 6-1, 232-pound Nevil didn't bat an eye as the Green Wave coaching staff suggested a move to defensive end to plug a hole in the line. Never mind that the average starting defensive end in C-USA is approximately 6-3 and 265 pounds. Or that the average offensive lineman that he would go up against would be 6-6 and over 300 pounds.
"I figured I had extra abilities that I could use at defensive line that the big boys couldn't handle," Nevil said. "I played defensive end in high school so it wasn't like it was foreign to me. I was excited; I couldn't wait to get a chance to to see what I could do there.
"I believe there are other players on our team who could do it [move to the line], so it felt good for the coaches to believe in me, that I could do it with the size difference and everything, and I appreciated their confidence."
If opposing teams thought they could take advantage of the "little man" on the line, it sure did not show up in the stats. After five games at his new position, Nevil led the Green Wave line in tackles (27), sacks (3) and tackles for loss (5.5). He also had a team-leading seven quarterback pressures. On Sept. 13, against a Mississippi State offensive line that averaged 6-3 and 315 pounds, Nevil registered five tackles, a sack and three quarterback pressures, helping the Green Wave to its first win over an SEC opponent since 1989.
Tulane's experiment with Nevil was working beautifully. While the defense had players dropping to various injuries, the 22-year old New Orleans native was quickly establishing himself as a rock on the line.
And then he stood up from his seat in Tulane's computer lab.
"When it first happened, I thought I had just pulled a muscle and I would be back playing within a couple of days or a week or two," Nevil said. "But then when they gave me the real news, it shocked me; I did not expect it to be something serious like that."
Nevil's football playing days were over. A brilliant senior season was cut short with seven games remaining due to a herniated disk.
"The doctor said that I have actually been hurt for a long time," he added. "My disk had been wearing down for so long from lifting weights and overall wear and tear."
While the Green Wave reeled from the news that one of its senior captains was done for the season, Nevil was reeling from the shock that his football career was over. Nevil was no different from any other senior, playing his hardest day-in and day-out, making the most of his final days in the Olive and Blue. November 22 is a big day in the minds of seniors, it is their day: Senior Day. Like all the seniors, Nevil had high hopes for his final game.
"It really hit me hard," Nevil said. "You always look forward to your last game, it's a home game, my senior year; I was looking forward to all of that."
While the loss of his final football days has been difficult for Nevil, he isn't looking for sympathy.
"I don't like people feeling sorry for me, because I feel like God has a plan for me," he said. "If I got hurt, I got hurt for a reason, it will all work out in the big plan. It's something that happens in your life, you just have to get through it. It's a small hurdle."
Nevil misses the action terribly, even the practices, but he has not wasted time on self-pity. He continues to be very active with the team, working with and tutoring the young defensive players at nearly every practice and in the weight room. And he has continued his hard work in the classroom.
"You have to work hard at everything you do," he said. "The biggest factor to succeeding in anything you do is working hard and being committed to what you are doing. You never know when something can happen to you on the field [like an injury] so you need to have other things to back you up, you need your education."
"Even though I had this injury and it cut short football, I will have a Tulane degree."
While many students drift through their years in college and then wander into the real world without a plan, Nevil has many plans for his future, both short and long term. A sociology major with a business studies minor, the Archbishop Shaw graduate has become involved with the study of the criminal justice system and deviant behavior. He is current pursuing an internship to work with prisoners locally. In the long term, he sees himself continuing research in these areas and authoring books on the subjects he studies.
For now, however, football is still not far from his mind.
"I miss practice; I was watching film, and I just want a chance to play again," he said. "I am definitely jealous [of his healthy teammates]. I don't know how many of them understand, they don't know when their time on the field is really up. They worry about practice and how tough it is, but when it's gone, it's gone."
Despite not being on the field since Sept. 27, the Green Wave coaches have not forgotten about their under-sized end. While his football successes this year were evident, those close to the program are quick to point out something far more important - his successes as a person.
"He is definitely someone that Tulane should be proud of," defensive line coach Giff Smith said. "He's got character, he's a very smart kid, he's got a beautiful daughter and he will be very successful. I hope he stays in the New Orleans area because I think he'll be good for TulaneUniversity and a great ambassador for our program."
"Daniel is one of the best athletes to work with and to me he exemplifies what college athletics is all about," strength and conditioning coach Curtis Tsuruda said. "I know whatever Daniel does, he will do the best he can; he will be successful in whatever he chooses to do. If football is any correlation to what will happen in the rest of his life, he will definitely excel."
"Daniel is a great person," said linebackers coach Garret Chachere. "He has always worked hard and we have never had a problem with him, on or off the field, with his attitude, his work ethic. If we had all Daniel Nevils, we would be extremely happy.
"Daniel may have regrets about some of the games he played in, but that's just the kind of person he is. It will never be because he did not play 100 percent. Daniel always plays 100 percent; that's the kind of player he was and the kind of person he is."
Meanwhile, Chris Scelfo will continue to drive the importance of every Saturday, every play, every practice, every conditioning session, every hour of film work, into his players. Without Nevil around to speak the following words himself, they may be worthy of posting on the locker room walls for eternity.
"I was like a lot of players, I would think if I do badly this week, I can always make it up next week," Nevil said. "Now that my career is done, I realize that it is the truth, you only have so many Saturdays; you need to make the most of every one of them."