May 24, 2005
Patriot League Success Stories - Where Are They Now? will feature former Patriot League student-athletes, highlighting both their accomplishments while competing at the Division I collegiate level and their successes since graduation. The Patriot League embodies the scholar-athlete model in all its intercollegiate participants and is proud of the strides made both in the classroom and in competition. The League applauds the accomplishments of its former
student-athletes and celebrates their life long achievements. The following
features truly embrace the League's slogan - Today's Scholar Athletes,
Tomorrow's Leaders.
The first installation of Patriot League Success Stories - Where Are They Now? features come from the pool of 1994-95 graduates of League institutions. Many of the featured athletes were named either Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year or Player of the Year in their respective sport. The accomplishments of the former student-athlete THEN and NOW will be highlighted.
Name: Tucker Neale
Institution: Colgate University
Sport: Men's Basketball
Position: Guard
Graduation Year: 1995
Undergraduate Major: Educational Issues/Political Science
THEN:
- President of the George Cobb Fellowship
- Campus leader (1994-95)
- Patriot League All Decade Team (1991-2001)
- Player of the Year (1994)
- Tournament Most Valuable Player (1995)
- All-League First Team (1994 & 1995)
- Jersey #20 retired at Colgate University
NOW:
- Started TFN Camps and Clinics Inc.
- Currently serves as a skill instructor for eight different NBA players
- Oversees TFN Camps and Clinics Inc., which has over 17,500 children pass through each year
- Played professional basketball in Germany, named Player of the Year once
- Tried out for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics
Thoughts on how your competitive experience as a Patriot League student-athlete helped you achieve professional or personal goals:
I feel my competitive experience as a Patriot League student-athlete has allowed me to understand fierce competition without losing sight of fairness and the integrity of the game. Since school and academics were an integral part of my experience, the real reason for attending college was never confused with an "athletic factory" atmosphere. Striking a balance between academics, athletics and social functions sharpened my time management skills and awareness of being a well-rounded person and member of society.