ASHBURN, Va. - Washington Redskins rookie nose tackle and former West Virginia Mountaineer Chris Neild was in full trash talking mode when I got a chance to ask him about his alma mater's matchup with Maryland Saturday.
"I’m not worried about Maryland," Neild said, smiling.
Of course, Saturday gives the Redskins seventh-round draft pick a chance to check out his old team, as the game is being played in College Park and not Morgantown.
"I was trying to go to it, but I got no time coming out of [Saturday walkthrough]. I'm excited about it, but I'm not worried [about the Terrapins]"
Neild is the second Redskins rookie to have a vested interest in Maryland's opponent, as the Terrapins played third round rookie Leonard Hankerson's alma mater, the Miami Hurricanes, on Labor Day to open the season.
Much like Hankerson, Neild fondly remembers beating the Terps numerous times in his college career.
"I remember in '06, [Maryland] came to West Virginia, and we killed them then," Neild recalls. "We had Steve Slaton then, he crossed the whole field and scored a touchdown."
"The next year, [running back] Noel [Devine] went off on them," he added. "Last year, we knocked their quarterback out. We don't worry about Maryland at West Virginia. We don't care about Maryland. "
This year, however, Maryland is favor thanks in large part to quarterback Danny O'Brien. When asked about West Virginia's chances now that Maryland has a quality quarterback, Neild didn't seem aware who the Terps' signal caller was.
"Who’s their quarterback?" he asked, laughing.
Of course, Neild doesn't follow Maryland football as closely as he does his alma mater, so he's not expected to know everything about the current Maryland roster.
Neild also said he would rib teammates and Maryland alums Josh Wilson and Kevin Barnes before the game but says he "doesn't like jinxing it."
Regardless who wins Saturday's matchup , sounds like someone on the Redskins defense will get the last laugh.