- January 13, 2026
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Continuity was hard to find for Ryan Neuzil throughout his Braden River High School football career.
He was perpetually on the field, but often in different roles.
As a freshman, he played fullback and linebacker. Then he switched to offensive tackle as a sophomore. Both his junior and senior seasons were spent at tight end and punter.
There was one constant, though. It’s an intangible asset that has remained integral to his being well beyond those days at Braden River.
Neuzil’s work ethic is exemplary.
“It’s a testament that young athletes should understand,” said Southeast High Football Coach Curt Bradley. “Those are hard guys to get rid of, and he’s just stuck around.”
The Atlanta Falcons have learned to appreciate one of the game’s hardest workers. On Jan. 4, Neuzil completed his first NFL season as a full-time starter, earning the nod at center for all 17 games.
He’s been with the franchise for five years. Every one of them was spent grinding.
"I just wanted to go out there and be able to play the whole season," Neuzil said. "And thankfully, I was. … It's been a little while."
Bradley, who coached him from 2012-15 on the Pirates, also didn’t fail to recognize what Neuzil brings to the table. He knows those strengths better than most.
The seasoned offensive lineman has battled his way forward out of necessity. Taking the road less traveled was necessary for him to get where he is now.
Once upon a time, Neuzil fought for snaps at the Pop Warner level. Following a decorated career at Appalachian State, where he was a two-time First Team All-Sun Belt selection, no franchise wanted him in the 2021 NFL Draft.
It was the Falcons who wisely took a flyer on the then-left guard. They signed him as an undrafted free agent and kept him on the practice squad in 2021.
This season, he trotted onto the turf every week with the starting offensive unit.
“Literally every game, when he runs out of the tunnel, his dad (Jeff Neuzil) and I both start crying,” said Tina Neuzil, his mother. “It’s just a little surreal, but with hard work, he's earned every bit of it.”
Atlanta's front office and coaches were able to witness what Ryan Neuzil is truly capable of back in 2024. Entering Week 4, he replaced injured center Drew Dalman and started eight straight games.
Dalman’s subsequent departure for the Chicago Bears in free agency of March 2025 left the door wide open, and Neuzil ran through it.
"Why not give it my all?" Neuzil said. "Why not do everything I can, and why not just put everything out there?"
He signed a two-year, $9.5 million deal with the Falcons on May 28, taking the keys to the interior offensive line.
Salary cap space was limited for the franchise at that point in the offseason. It was unable to splurge on a more established center who might have still been on the market.
Exploring out-of-house options would have been a waste of time.
“(Neuzil) is so athletic and so intelligent that, as a coach, I'm sure they fell in love with him just like we did,” Bradley said. “When you're so versatile, there's not a coach that doesn't like that.”
There’s an entirely different burden that comes with the promotion from reserve to full-time starter. Expectations are heightened and, at times, can be unforgiving.
In that vein, outside perceptions of Neuzil weren’t so positive entering the 2025 NFL season. Pro Football Focus ranked him at No. 29 out of 32 starting centers, casting particular doubt on his ability in the running game after 2024 scores of 60.5 in run-blocking and 63.6 in pass-blocking.
But accurately evaluating centers — like offensive linemen overall — is a tricky business. There are little-to-no statistics from which to draw insights. Rather, coaches often look to the success of their ball-handlers as a reflection of success in the trenches.
The Falcons used a zone-heavy scheme under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson this season.
With Neuzil up front, running back Bijan Robinson racked up a league-high 2,298 scrimmage yards and fourth-best 1,478 yards on the ground alone.
That’s an overwhelmingly positive indicator that Neuzil excelled. At the very least, he was a stalwart on one of the league’s premier run-blocking units.
“In the zone scheme, it's his ability to just get out and run and reach and come back on linebackers…” Bradley said. “I can't imagine there’s many more athletic centers in the league.”
Pro Football Focus recognized that, awarding Neuzil an 82.1 run-blocking grade, which ranks sixth among 40 graded centers. He had his struggles protecting the pass — coming in 30th with a 59.3 mark — but earned a seventh-best overall grade of 77.4, improving on last year’s by a whopping 18.9 points.
He made leaps and bounds this season by displaying athleticism and reliability on the line. Bradley sees his skill set as comparable to six-time All-Pro center Jason Kelce.
There should be no doubt he has the work ethic of an All-Pro. He always has.
“We were a little disciplined in our house. My older son (Alec Neuzil), too, is very successful,” said Tina Neuzil. “Jeff and I both believe that if you want it, no one's going to give it to you. You’ve got to go get it.”
Atlanta was a perplexing bunch this season. Offensively, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. were a powerful pairing alongside Bijan Robinson, and still, the team finished at 8-9 and missed the playoffs.
When a heap of talent doesn’t yield positive results, point the finger at those in command. That’s what the Falcons did by firing head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.
So just when Neuzil found continuity as a starter, though, he will have to work with a third different head coach in his sixth season.
“His intelligence and commitment and work ethic will, without a doubt, make him somebody the next staff is going to want to retain,” Bradley said.
The 28-year-old has room to grow before earning Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors, but putting in the work is what got him here — from undrafted free agent to full-time starter.
And that work ethic won’t waver.
