Brett Neilon’s storied, transformative USC career likely ends with injury against Utah
Brett Neilon has been a fixture at USC over the past several years. He has seen it all: the hopefulness of 2019 when Kedon Slovis was a promising, evolving freshman, the 2020 pandemic season, the descent to rock bottom in 2021, the hire of Lincoln Riley, the offseason optimism mixed with uncertainty about the future, then this magnificent 2022 season and its overachieving dimensions.
Neilon, a pillar of the locker room and this team’s inner circle, deserved to play in USC’s high-end bowl game. Now, after being carted off with an injury in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah, it’s likely that he has played his last game at USC. It’s hard if not impossible to think he can play in the Trojans’ bowl game.
Here’s how the USC community and national football experts reacted to his injury on Friday night against Utah:
GUT-WRENCHING
The injury cart is out for Brett Neilon. Tough sight to see, considering how much he’s meant to USC https://t.co/xZLrr66d10
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) December 3, 2022
EVERYONE LOVES BRETT
Brett Neilon is one of my favorite guys to talk to (you have to be someone special for @EdisonLacour to root for you if you're a Trojan). Watching him hype up his teammates and the crowd there speaks to who he is. #USC
— Austin Green (@AustinGreen44) December 3, 2022
HEARTBREAKING
Brett Neilon had his face buried in his hands as he is attended to.
He tried to get up and walk off under his own power initially and just couldn't do it. https://t.co/YwEXSAGefV
— Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSpr) December 3, 2022
GIVEN SO MUCH
This is Brett Neilon's final season at #USC. He's a sixth-year guy who has seen the program go through so many ups and downs. Awful to see his time in the program presumably end like that.
— Antonio Morales (@AntonioCMorales) December 3, 2022
DEEPLY MOVING
USC starting Center, Brett Neilon is being carted off.
First time the stadium has been quite all evening .
USC players obviously were concerned, Neilon gives the pump them up from the cart pic.twitter.com/0P8JrXahrT
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 3, 2022
TEAM GUY
Hate to see it end that way for Brett Neilon. Ultimate team guy, ultimate program guy. And sure enough, he's trying to pump up the #USC fans in the crowd while being carted off the field.
— Ryan Young (@RyanYoungRivals) December 3, 2022
LIFE ISN'T FAIR
Very likely Brett Neilon's final college game. Heartbreaking to see leaders like him and Travis Dye go down…such warriors, such good human beings.
— RichSC (@OriginalRichSC) December 3, 2022
GAVE USC HIS VERY BEST
The cart has been brought out for Brett Neilon. Just a hell of a season from the elite center
— Reign of Troy (@ReignofTroy) December 3, 2022
MASSIVE
The cart is coming out for center Brett Neilon. Huge loss for USC.
— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) December 3, 2022
THINKING ABOUT THE TEAM
Brett Neilon is waving to the USC fans to make noise before he is carted off the field. If this is his last moment as a Trojan, it's a fitting one
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) December 3, 2022
AWFUL
Hate to see that for Brett Neilon. #pac12championship
— Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) December 3, 2022
STOMACH PUNCH
#USC will be without Brett Neilon for the rest of the game, if not the rest of the season. Losing a center is the middle of a game is very difficult.
— USC Football News (@USCFootballNews) December 3, 2022
LEADER
This is a huge blow for USC as Brett Neilon is an All-Pac 12 performer in the middle of the offensive line. One of the best and most respected players on the team.#CFB2022 #FightOn
— CFB Focus 🏈 (@cffmwachsman) December 3, 2022
HIGH STANDARD
Brett Neilon is a massive loss for USC.
Nation’s second-highest-graded center per @PFF
— Max Chadwick (@Chad_Maxwick) December 3, 2022
SAD
Please no https://t.co/BbET9iyDKi
— Caleb (@_calebmcelwrath) December 3, 2022
BEYOND WORDS
ISWEARTHISISREALLYFINE.GIF https://t.co/U5soGLZ1d3
— Alicia de Artola Castillo (@PenguinOfTroy) December 3, 2022
WARRIOR
Cheering for Utah in this game but I really hope he ends up being alright. Dude is a warrior and a heck of a player! https://t.co/WyUwWzPyA8
— Drew W. (@WalkerTN15) December 3, 2022
ATTRITION
That sucks man. CFP just not meant to be. Attrition has found its way to a magical season. https://t.co/S8QsfEBeUB
— CoolStoryDEL (@WhereAmaznHappn) December 3, 2022
AN ANCHOR
42 starts hop on the cart with the Brett Neilon injury. He’s been a mainstay on the USC OL.
— USC Analytics (@USCanalytics) December 3, 2022
CENTERPIECE
Brett Neilon is USC’s second-best OL behind Andrew Vorhees, who didn’t suit up tonight. Losing your center is never good.
— Jake Hatch (Yawk) – Slava Ukraini (@JacobCHatch) December 3, 2022
HEART AND SOUL
Brett Neilon has been one of the nation's top centers. This is horrible to see.
— UConn Paid Kevin Ollie $15,057,032.95 (@Husky_Turned) December 3, 2022
PAIN
oh no…i literally put brett neilon in my 5 prospects to watch this weeknd today…he had an all-american caliber year. absolutely hate to see that for a guy that grinded to get to this point.
— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) December 3, 2022
