Former Live Oak football player and Buffalo Bills tight end,
running back and special teams veteran Morgan Hill – In the midst
of his seventh NFL season, Buffalo Bills veteran and Live Oak
graduate Ryan Neufeld is being utilized for his versatility, which
is leading him to the best season of his career.
Morgan Hill – In the midst of his seventh NFL season, Buffalo Bills veteran and Live Oak graduate Ryan Neufeld is being utilized for his versatility, which is leading him to the best season of his career.
At Live Oak Neufeld received several honors including Super Prep All-Far West, All-League, Live Oak Receiver of the Year and Lineman of the Year.
In his senior year, he had 17 receptions for 633 yards (37.2 average) and seven touchdowns. Neufeld had 45 receptions for 1,122 yards in his high school career.
Neufeld then attended UCLA and started his college football career as linebacker during his freshman and sophomore years.
He moved to tight end his last two years and had 18 receptions for 201 yards, two touchdowns, 39 tackles and two sacks for the Bruins.
After graduating from UCLA with a degree in history, Neufeld was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie free agent in 1999 and played six regular-season games and the first game of the playoffs.
Neufeld had six special teams tackles in that time and had a nine-yard kickoff return against Minnesota in the playoffs.
He spent the 2000 pre-season with the Cowboys but was waived before the season began and picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Unable to find a niche with the Jaguars, Neufeld headed across the pond to play in NFL Europe.
Neufeld played football in the spring of 2000 with the Rhein Fire, in Germany, where he had eight receptions for 75 yards and one touchdown to help lead the team to the World Bowl title.
Proving his athleticism, Neufeld made a return to the NFL in 2002 and tried out for the Seattle Seahawks.
Neufeld was cut from Seattle during training camp, but he was acquired by the Buffalo Bills as a free agent in 2003, where he has played ever since.
Neufeld’s most productive season thus far was his second year with the Bills in 2004 when he had six catches for 61 yards as tight end.
This season the struggling Bills, 1-4, have Neufeld listed as tight end and full back, or H-Back, and in five games the 31-year old has two catches for 14 yards and key plays on special teams.
His size and experience as tight end provides a great number of options as a receiver coming out of the backfield, although he has mostly been used for his blocking ability.
In the Bills’ dramatic Monday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Neufeld was in on at least two game-changing special-teams plays.
Punter Brian Moorman ran for a crucial first down on a fake punt on fourth and 4, with Neufeld as a lead blocker.
With three players lined up on the right side of formation to block two Cowboys defenders, Moorman took the long-snap and ran outside, then cut back inside, allowing Neufeld to kick out Cowboy’s defender Miles Austin.
Neufeld displayed his blocking abilities again on Terrence McGee’s 103-yard kickoff return, joining with Anthony Thomas to execute a double-team block leading to a Bills’ touchdown.
Neufeld is in the last year of his contract with the Bills, but if he continues making key plays the father of one could surpass his season catch total, and easily extend his career.
MORGAN HILL TIMES: Going into a bye week, how are you and your team preparing and staying motivated after Monday night’s last-second heartbreaking loss to the Dallas Cowboys?
Ryan Neufeld: We think it’s a little bit easier having a bye week because it gives us more time to refocus, but you kind of have that bad taste in your mouth for a few extra days.
MHT: That game was killer to watch and everyone is talking about it … (Cowboy’s QB Tony) Romo had six turnovers and you guys made all the major plays … what happened?
RN: Our defense played great and on special teams we had a good game, but we just got to learn how to finish the game. With one play we’re there, I think we’re right there and we’re learning. In our first game of the season we lost on a field goal in the final seconds to Denver, and we had to put that game behind us and focus on (the) future … being professionals we have to put this game behind us also. It’s tough, but I think we’re all learning from the situation.
MHT: How hard was it witnessing and coping with Kevin Everett’s career and life-threatening spinal cord injury in that first game?
RN: It was pretty rough … not just being his teammate, but also playing the same position. We don’t hang out too much once we leave the stadium, but we’re together all the time in practice so we’re pretty close.
MHT: You’ve played tight-end for all of your career and now the Bills have you lined up at full back … How do you feel the Bills are utilizing your experience and versatility?
RN: I feel pretty good about it. My main role on the team is special teams and then I get some full back duties also … I’m the number-one full back.
MHT: How do you like playing full-back compared to tight end?
RN: Both have their differences, but at this point any time I get on the field is a positive.
MHT: You’re in your seventh year … how may more years do you have in you?
RN: Well, I’m about to turn 32, and I’m in the last year of my contract with Buffalo. I’d like to get three more years in, and I’d like to stay in Buffalo, but that depends on how the rest of the season goes.
MHT: How does playing football on the East Coast compare to playing on the West Coast in say Morgan Hill or Los Angeles?
RN: Really the only difference is the weather, but you just deal with it.
MHT: Do you have a relationship with fellow Bay Area standout Marshawn Lynch, and if so, have you discussed your Bay Area roots?
RN: Yeah a little bit. I’ve talked to him a few times about being from the Bay Area, but there are a few of us from the Bay … (Kirk) Chambers played at Stanford and Trent Edwards is from Stanford, too.
MHT: What are some of the best memories of your career so far?
RN: I had a great time at Live Oak and UCLA. Those were some of the best times of my life. Playing tight end at Live Oak and being on such great teams under Norm Dow was a real positive experience.
MHT: What advice would you give to the Live Oak and Sobrato high school football players, and any football players for that matter, who have dreams of playing in the NFL?
RN: I’d say don’t give up, persevere and be coachable. You can learn a lot from your coaches, as I did, and you have to work with them in developing your skills. But just give 100 percent to the best of your ability.
