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LORETTO, Pa. – Senior linebacker Bishop Neal (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) spotted a photographer's camera on the bench during one of the team's preseason practices last week.
 
"Can I take some pictures?" he asked. "I worked at Kennywood during the summers taking people's photos." Kennywood, the suburban Pittsburgh amusement park, is just a few miles away from Neal's hometown of Clairton. 
 
"I was one of those annoying guys chasing people around the park asking to take their picture so that they can buy it," he laughed.
 
There must be something in Neal's DNA that allows him to enjoy the chase. In the summer, it's families and thrill-seekers at an amusement park. In the fall, he turns his attention to opposing quarterbacks and running backs. His interactions on the gridiron are usually far less friendly than those on the midway.
 
"He's a blue-collar guy who's worked for everything he's earned," head coach Chris Villarrial said. "He's the type of player that every coach would love to have. He shows up for everything, never gives you a problem, he's always lined up correctly and is a leader by example."
 
Neal's play at linebacker gives credence to the argument that the numbers don't always tell the whole story. Even with his team-high 79 tackles last season, the amount of disruption he causes on most plays is hard to quantify. He has the ability to force a quarterback to make decisions earlier or to destroy a lead block to give his teammates a better chance to make a tackle. He was a major cog in a defense that allowed just 12.3 points per game over the team's final six contests. The Flash was 4-2 in those games.
 
For all those abilities, Neal has not only been named to the Preseason All-NEC Team but has also been named FCS Preseason Second Team All-America by USA Football.
 
"It's definitely an honor," he said. "I've always felt like I was a little under the radar, but being named a Preseason All-American gave me something I've never really had before. I'm just honored they noticed me."
 
New linebackers coach Scott Lewis knows something about making plays for the Red Flash. In a career than spanned from 2007-10, Lewis compiled 524 tackles. That's a school record and also the third highest total for a linebacker in FCS history. He said that there's a lot to like about Neal's game.
 
"Bishop displays the tangibles and intangibles as a linebacker," Lewis said. "He has physical attributes. He's fast, athletic, explosive and strong. But he also plays with a lot of heart and he's mentally tough."
 
Neal's time at Clairton High School coincided with the beginning of a 66-game winning streak that lasted five years until the Bears lost last season. It was the longest active winning streak in the United States. The program's rise to winning five games in each of the past two seasons has coincided with Villarrial's recruiting classes coming to fruition. Neal's experience with winning is an ingredient than any rebuilding program looks for in a recruit.
 
"The winning in high school definitely carries over," Villarrial said. "It shows in the way he trains his mind and body. It shows in the way he prepares for games with film study and also getting his classwork done so that he can come down and watch more tape on his own."
 
Villarrial said that he hopes that the Red Flash can give Neal a conference title in his senior season.
 
"The guy wants to win football games," he said. "He's the type of guy that if you had 22 of him on your team, you'd win a lot of games."
 
The Flash opens the year at No. 11 Fordham a week from Saturday at 6:00 p.m.