Irish Illustrated Interviews: Kerry Neal, Notre Dame Captain, Private Trainer to Irish Players & Prospects

What this episode covers

Episode No. 19 features Irish Illustrated's conversation with Kerry Neal, a former Notre Dame defensive lineman and four-year starter from 2007 to 2010. He totaled more than 100 tackles and seven sacks while playing for former Fighting Irish coaches Charlie Weis and Brian Kelly. Later, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent, but injuries cut his career short. Around the same time, the 2011 NFL lockout opened the door for him to become a sports performance trainer. Today, he’s the CEO of Win Performance in Highland Park, Illinois, where you train athletes of all ages. That includes a host of former Notre Dame All-Americans and standouts, highlighted by Chicago-area natives Julian Love and Rylie Mills, both of whom won Super Bowl 60 with the Seattle Seahawks this year. Neal also trains two blue-chip defensive tackles in the class of 2027: David Folorunsho and Brayden Parks. Folorunsho committed to the Fighting Irish last week (we recorded the episodes before the announcement), while Parks remains a top-priority nose tackle target for Notre Dame. We discuss both prospects near the end of the episode, and what it’s like to get to know the Irish coaching staff as recruiters.

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