Mike McNeill says the motto he lives by is to have fun.
That might seem in direct conflict with the "workaholic" nature of Ron Brown, his tight end coach at Nebraska, but it really isn't because the better he gets, the more fun he has.
McNeill had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2008 and because he's worked harder than he ever has, he's hoping for even more production in '09.
After breaking Johnny Mitchell's 17-year-old school tight end record with 32 catches last season and falling one short Mitchell's record seven touchdown catches in one season, McNeill was placed on the Mackey Award Watch List.
But as far as he's come from off the radar to full-fledged starter among a talented group of tight ends, Brown said McNeill is only beginning to realize the measure of his own talent.
"Mike is a very athletic guy, and we can us e him in a variety of ways - at the line of scrimmage, out wide or in motion," Brown said. "We can even move him and get him into the backfield. He's an excellent route runner and has a great feel for the passing game.
"He's also improved as a blocker," Brown added. "Mike's just a versatile athlete. He's very quick. He can make acrobatic catches, and he's shown himself to be a good runner after the catch as well. He had some pretty exciting touchdown runs last year, but he's still a young player and learning. Hopefully, his experience from last year will beef up his game."
Barring injury, improvement is almost a given because of Brown's relentless pursuit of perfection.
Workaholic is the word McNeill used to describe Brown in his time before the Huskers.com camera in our new video series, Quick Hits.
"He never stops working," McNeill said of Brown. "There's never a free moment. He's always working, always doing something."
And McNeill would be the first to tell you that he, and all of his tight end teammates, have been the benefactors.
Workaholic, in this sense, is a positive term.
"One thing I've talked to my kids about is how they manage their time," Brown said. "We talk about how every second on that field is a chance to work on every phase of our game."
A workaholic mindset, Brown said, has nothing to do with over fatigue. "It's maximizing the time you are on the field," he said. "It's really working hard and grading your efficiency and your tenacity in the time allotted to practice and go to meetings."
In McNeill's Quick Hits video, you'll also learn about the actor he's been told he looks like and why he thinks Husker fans make Nebraska the best place to play.
