path to the draft: neil pau’u
2021 SEASON:
“I chose BYU, simply just because my brother was here. We got to play a season or two together in high school. So I want to continue it here in college,” Pau’u said of his decision to play for BYU.
This season, Pau’u recorded 46 receptions for 526 yards and 6 touchdowns. In the first game of the season against University of Arizona, Pau’u helped lead the Cougars to a win, with two touchdowns, eight receptions, and 126 yards.
“The first game. We went off. But it was just the environment. It was the, you know, practicing all fall camp for one game, that beginning game against Arizona in Vegas — to have that many people there, that’s probably my favorite moment,” Pau’u said.
Although it was Pau’u’s senior season at BYU, he still has one remaining year of eligibility. However, Pau’u has decided to declare for the 2022 NFL draft.
“I think it was just time for me just to move on from BYU. I'd been there four years. It’s just time to just see what else is out there for me,” Neil said of his decision.
PRO DAY TRAINING:
Pau’u has been training for Pro Day at Grossetti Performance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Terry Grosetti. In Pau’u’s training group, a variety of schools are represented: University of Hawaii, Texas Tech, Villanova, and Ball State.
“So it's been cool just to be out here to meet new people as well. And [make] new friends I’ll have for the rest of my life,” Neil said of his training group.
When it came to choosing a place to train, Neil was originally drawn to Florida or California. However, his agent recommended Grossetti Performance in Pennsylvania.
“Being here in Pittsburgh is way different. I'm a West Coast kid, I'm a city kid. But I've loved every single bit of it.”
Pau’u wanted to find a place where he could be focused. Being on his own and being able to concentrate on football without distractions is the reason why Pau’u decided to train in Pittsburgh.
“I've been able to get away. I've been able to focus on not only my physical self, and prepping for the draft and Pro Day — but I think most importantly, my mentals and being able to find peace,” said Pau’u.
Pau’u trains Monday through Sunday and rests on Thursday. His schedule includes: lifting, agility work, field work, drill testing, position work, pool workouts, and yoga. He also participated in a mock Pro Day to prepare.
“Zach [Wilson] explained to us that there's so much time in the NFL [to focus and train], and when you get to that part, you'll understand it. So now that I'm here, there is a lot of time — a lot of time to reflect and a lot of time to to grow as a person,” Pau’u said.
Following group workouts, Pau’u goes back to his hotel and has free time. He starts with a 20 minute walking session followed by light lifting to get more explosive. He usually takes a break and plays video games with his former teammates and ends the night with a 30 minute ab and stretching session.
PRO DAY:
“There’s certain goals and numbers that I have. I have them written down, some of them are gonna be a little bit of reach I think, but I think we're gonna try to get them,” Neil said of his Pro Day goals.
Pau’u participated in the bench press (14 reps), vertical jump (31 inches), broad jump (9 feet 10 inches), 40-yard dash (4.72 seconds), 20-yard shuttle (4.10 seconds), and three-cone drill (6.95 seconds). Pau’u had the fastest three-cone drill time at this year’s BYU Pro Day, which would have ranked him No. 2 among wide receivers at the NFL Combine. Following testing, former BYU Quarterback, Baylor Romney came back to throw various routes all over the field to help showcase route running abilities for Pau’u.
“It was cool. Two of them [Tyler Allgeier and Uriah Leiataua] are roommates with me. James is really cool and Samson is Samson—you know always brings the energy. It was cool just to be able to work out with these guys. We talked about it leading up, it’s just a dream come true.” said Pau’u on his Pro Day experience.
The 2022 NFL Draft will begin on April 28th in Las Vegas.