Two former SEC players involved in first Falcons’ preseason fight
By Jason Hall
Published:
Atlanta Falcons defensive back Keanu Neal and tight end Jacob Tamme were involved in the team’s first official fight of training camp on Sunday according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I wasn’t trying to kill him,” Neal said. “It just happened.”
The video of Neal’s hit surfaced on social media Sunday, who certainly isn’t new to delivering big hits.
Oh my! @Keanu_Neal is getting em lit ??? #FalconsCamp #RiseUp pic.twitter.com/bqHziEel6d
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) July 31, 2016
While it’s not uncommon for teammates to trade blows during camp, it’s worth noting that the two players are both former members of SEC East teams.
Neal, who was drafted No. 17 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, played at Florida from 2013-15. Tamme spent his college career at Kentucky from 2004-07.
Although the scenario of the SEC rivalry fueling an NFL fight sounds appealing, the incident sounds more like a veteran’s attempt to keep a rookie in check according to Neal, who accepted blame after practice.
“He just really emphasized that we are trying to protect the team,” Neal said of Tamme. “That was the point he was trying to get across. That’s the biggest thing and it’s true.
“He held me accountable. So, he put me in check. I got out of hand hitting him like that. We are a physical team, but we’ve got to protect the team. He emphasized that.”
However, let’s just say some rivalries never die instead.
Jason covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
