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Cowboys Rookie Makes Honest Point On Tough Road Ahead

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated May 5, 2025 6:33 AM ET

Dallas Cowboys rookie tight end Tyler Neville has made headlines for his tough journey to the NFL, having overcome childhood deafness cancer among a host of other things early in his life.

But as harsh as it is, the NFL doesn't concern itself with how a player gets to the league, all that matters is if the player is good enough to stay there.

Yes, Neville has already experienced all the trials and tribulations anyone could think of, and his next challenge will be to make the Cowboys roster in 2025.

Granted, it isn't easy to achieve, especially with Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Brevy Spann-Ford, and John Stephens Jr. already on the roster, but Neville knows his game has to improve in the coming months.

"I got to get better at football, it sounds funny, but it's true," Neville said. "I'm an explosive athlete, when you get to the NFL, it gets [to] the nitty-gritty. Everyone is an explosive athlete in their own right, but I got to get down to the nitty-gritty of my game, my footwork, how I'm breaking on certain routes, all that stuff. That's why the NFL is the best of the best, so I do exactly as I'm coached."

Neville is self-aware and knows that the path ahead won't be an easy one.

With rookie minicamp completed, now the 6-4, 248-pound tight end must maintain the focus, learn the playbook, and go over the installs already talked about in team meetings at The Star.

Plus, he must stay in shape so that when mandatory minicamp rolls around, he can hit the ground running and make the most of this incredible opportunity.

Neville has already been through so much in his young life, and he's overcome it all - so far capped by studying at Harvard before moving to Virginia - so in some ways, making an NFL roster fails in comparison to what he's already been through.

But you can bet your house he's ready to give it everything he's got to make his NFL dream a reality.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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