"They all wanted the tall linemen," he said. "Washington was switching over to a faster offense, and they didn't really care about your size, as long as you could move fast."
He took recruiting trips to Stanford, which he found too disorganized; Air Force Academy, which he liked, but reasoned a military life wasn't for him, and USC.
"I thought I was 'SC bound through my junior year and halfway through my senior year," he said. "It was close. They were a good team, good academic program. Then, I started realizing, 'Do I want to spend another five years in downtown L.A.?' "
Apparently not. He opted for Washington after finding Seattle "the most serene place I had seen."
He also sees opportunity here. Before a career in the aerospace industry, he wants to play pro ball. The Huskies have produced NFL centers Bern Brostek and Blair Bush of the Rams and Ed Cunningham of the Phoenix Cardinals.
"In the Washington system, the center's always in the spot to make the calls," Nevelle said. "He always has to be in a position where he has to lead the offensive line. I don't know if it's brought out in people, or if they try to place a certain type person in that spot. I guess you're either born or bred to be one."
