Neal has the benefit of playing on a defense that has a nice blend of youth and experience. He's able to grow alongside players in the same situation he's in, while also relying on some of the team's veterans.

Although Neal says he's comfortable going to any of his teammates with questions, two of the mentors he can directly relate to are Kemal Ishmael and Allen. As safeties, Ishmael and Allen know first-hand what it's like to be in Neal's position. While Ishmael is expected to play a bit more of a hybrid role this year, he's still able to imbue some of his knowledge as a strong safety. Although, Ishmael speaks very highly of Neal's other advisor.

"Keanu learns from Rico (Ricardo Allen), and Rico is probably the best in the world at what he does," Ishmael said. "Rico, he has the talent, he can cover and the guy is smart. You know him and Keanu, when I was back there, we talked a lot and Rico is ahead of the game, man. And Keanu, that strong safety (position) it takes a while to learn, but as the season went on, he got better and better and better. He's a leader now, so I think he's doing a really good job."

Some lessons Neal had to learn on his own. Hearing something and experiencing it first-hand can be effective in entirely different ways.