BEREA, Ohio — Former UTSA standout defensive end Jason Neill has signed a free agent contract with the National Football League's Cleveland Browns, the organziation announced on Monday.
It marks the second time Neill, who will make the transition to outside linebacker, has agreed to terms with an NFL team since the 2016 NFL Draft, as he inked a pact with the Dallas Cowboys back on May 6, but he subsequently was waived on May 24.
Neill, who was a second-team All-Conference USA selection last fall, started all 12 games at defensive end during his final year as a Roadrunner and he led UTSA's linemen with 56 tackles (36 solos/20 assists) while setting program single-season records with 11 TFLs and 8.5 sacks. The Flower Mound native registered two sacks in three of his last five outings and racked up a total of seven during that span. Neill set career highs with nine tackles, four TFLs and two sacks at North Texas (Oct. 31) and added nine stops and a pair of sacks against Rice (Nov. 21) three weeks later. He also had two sacks at Charlotte (Nov. 14).
Neill finished his career with UTSA career records of 23.5 TFLs and 14 sacks.
A total of five former Roadrunners now are in NFL training camps this summer — defensive tackle Ashaad Mabry (New Orleans Saints), tight end David Morgan II (Minnesota Vikings/UTSA's first-ever NFL Draft pick), Neill, cornerback Bennett Okotcha (Tennessee Titans) and defensive tackle Brian Price (Green Bay Packers). Former UTSA track & field All-American Teddy Williams (Carolina Panthers) also is in training camp with the Carolina Panthers after playing in Super Bowl 50 this past February.
