‘Having fun’ led Kansas Jayhawks running back Devin Neal to new heights on the field

Kansas Jayhawks running back Devin Neal received some valuable advice from the team’s upperclassmen before the start of this year’s football training camp.

They urged KU’s No. 1 ball-carrier to relax and enjoy the season.

“As serious as this game is, to (just) enjoy it,” Neal told The Star. “And I think I did the best of that this past season, of just enjoying football. Even through the hardships of fall camp, just enjoy being out there.

“It just feels like yesterday I was walking through the door. These are the best times of my life and I know it’s the best time of their (upperclassmen) life, too.”

The Jayhawks will play UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Tuesday, their reward for an eight-win season. It’s the second straight year that KU has appeared in a bowl.

Renewed mindset for football

Neal’s parents, Freda and Ryan McPhail, told The Star in November that their son’s been having more fun than ever.

Some of that perhaps had to do with Devin’s decision to focus solely on football after being a two-sport athlete initially at KU.

“I think that was a change of mindset for me,” Neal said. “Obviously, not playing baseball helped, too, not just being so exhausted all the time. I think being able to let loose has changed my game. Obviously, I spent a lot of hard work in the offseason, but in the season just playing free, just playing loose.

“Playing ball like we did in little league — that’s the thing that I need to remember is, like, football hasn’t changed since I played in little league to now.”

Neal’s focus on having fun seems to have led him to new heights on the field. He ran for 1,209 yards on 183 carries, averaging 6.6 yards per carry, and 15 touchdowns, making the All-Big 12 second team.

Neal said he changed his internal mindset.

“When you are facing the hard moments of fall camp, it’s not just remembering, ‘Aw man, all day,’” Neal said. “Just focusing on where I am right now. I’m at practice, (so) have fun at practice. At meetings, try to have fun at meetings. I think we did the best as a running back room to (do) that — not necessarily just focusing on Xs and Os, but having fun with the guys, too.”

Will Kansas’ Devin Neal enter NFL Draft?

Neal is undecided about whether to leave college early and enter the NFL Draft.

And KU’s bowl appearance awaits before he’ll make that decision.

For the Jayhawks (8-4, 5-4 Big 12), a victory over UNLV Tuesday would means just the sixth nine-victory season in program history. More importantly, it’d mark another milestone in an amazing turnaround from Neal’s freshman season, when KU won just two games.

Naturally, the Lawrence native is enjoying this week with his teammates, soaking up what could be his last moments in a Kansas uniform.

Most importantly, he’s having fun. And why not? He’s slowly but surely achieving all of the things he’s dreamed about since he was a kid.

“It’s special, Neal said. “You can say that you want to do this — you want to achieve your dream — but to actually be a part of the special group, it’s really cool. ...

“I know it means a lot to the older guys who’ve been through a lot in this program. I’m just glad everyone got to experience this. Even for the freshmen, that they don’t have to experience what was in the past, too.”