Jalil Neeley heading to IHSAA boys wrestling regionals for the first time, capping off a notable 12 months where he also broke the shot put record.
SOUTH BEND – Despite advancing to IHSAA boys wrestling regionals for the first time in his three years on the mat, South Bend Washington’s Jalil Neeley was frustrated that he didn’t place higher. The senior finished as the third-best 215-pounder at last weekend’s Mishawaka-hosted sectional, going 3-1 on the day to earn that standing.
However, sometimes Neeley allows his hunger to be the best – overshadow his accomplishments. Over the past 12 months, he has earned numerous accolades.
In his junior track and field season, Neeley broke the Panthers’ school record for shot put distance at 50 feet, 10 and one-quarter inches. This past football season, the defensive lineman was named an All-Northern Indiana Conference (NIC) honorable mention.
Now, as every week could be his last in wrestling, Neeley is not only suiting up for regionals but was recently honored as an All-NIC third-team selection. At the Penn-hosted regional on Saturday, February 7, Neeley will face Rochester senior Mason Hisey in the first round.
Neeley’s hunger for more even extends to how he views his physique, sometimes not feeling that his status as one of the most athletic students at Washington is enough.
“It’s just a word to me. I need to hold on to the things I’ve done … But seeing the work I put in pay off makes me want to keep going and soar to the heavens,” Neeley said.
Neeley’s work ethic stems both from his mother’s strong influence and his own willpower. Before he was even involved in organized athletics, Neeley remembers middle school classmates telling him he was skinny.
So, as a sixth grader, he would go home from school every day and do 500 squats, push-ups, and sit-ups to change that perception. His inspiration to do so came from the anime he was watching at the time: “Baki the Grappler” and “Kengan Ashura.”
Once he started getting in better shape, Neeley said he begged his mother to allow him to play football. She said no, but she let him join the track and field program in eighth grade.
“I started to realize I needed to get out more. I needed to actually do stuff, because I was in the house a lot and I didn’t really like going outside anymore,” Neeley said. “When I work hard in sports, I know I’m going to have to work harder in life. You have to make sure you work hard behind the scenes when nobody is watching.”
He began playing football as a freshman and wrestling as a sophomore. Neeley said he isn’t training to satisfy his body image anymore, now focusing on more specialized training to help increase his athleticism and explosion as he chases the goal of continuing his track & field career collegiately.
Most notably, Neeley has been in talks with Trine University.
Neeley the unicorn?
Elijah Young and Neeley became fast friends after Young transferred to Washington from South Bend Saint Joseph ahead of his junior year. Now both senior teammates on the football and track & field teams, Young remembers his first time seeing Neeley’s dedication to bettering himself firsthand.
“We were in the weight room, and this kid was working crazy hard,” Young said. “Everyone else is done, but Jalil was finding extra stuff to do. Whether it was forearm curls or push-ups on the side by himself.”
Young tries to help Neeley take more time to appreciate the fruits of his labor, but he also admits that Neeley’s endless drive has inspired him. Young, an All-NIC second team quarterback, is committed to DePauw University.
“People want to be more like Jalil,” Young said. “I’ve never seen Jalil without a smile on his face … He is someone who truly deserves it.”
Eleven-year head football coach Jay Johnson calls Neeley a unicorn. Johnson, a Washington and Notre Dame alumnus, has been surrounded by hard-working athletes his whole life.
It takes a lot to impress the former Irish wide receiver, but Neeley has done that in his four seasons in Johnson’s locker room. In fact, Neeley admitted his passion for football briefly wavered, and he considered quitting before his senior season, but his respect for Johnson and the Panthers won out.
“You have to outwork people, and it has to be something that comes naturally to you vs. something that is pulled out of you,” Johnson said. “His humility is genuine, it’s rare and unique for someone his age to be so humble.”
Proudly displayed on Washington’s entrance sign is the high school’s nickname: “The Pride of the West Side.” Johnson said only few match Neeley when it comes to better embodying that moniker.
He is well aware of the weight carrying the Panthers’ reputation holds, helping sustain the historic legacy of Washington athletics. Neeley is proud to have spent his four high school years representing the West Side.
“If I were anywhere else, I don’t think I would be where I’m at now,” Neeley said. “I feel like the people here have helped me become someone who tries his best and tries to do good anywhere I go … There’s something about the way they care; it makes you want to care.”
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at [email protected] or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Jalil Neeley embodies South Bend Washington's "Pride of the West Side"
Category: General Sports
