Everyone at the top of the college ultimate heap is stacked talent wise. Throws, hops, huge bids and just great skills in general. But Will Neff is like the Lebron James of college ultimate. He just does everything that much better than everyone else and he also has had to deal with tons of hype coming out of high school and the pressure that goes along with it.

I played with Will on Twisted Metal, I briefly coached him at Northeastern and we play together on Ironside. The best thing about Will is that regardless of it being Sunday against Jam in Sarasota in October or it being Sunday against Stonehill B (no offense Stonehill B) on some crappy field in early March Will gives 1 billion percent…or 100% whichever one means more to you. He is forever talking about how to be better, how to make his teammates better, how to make the team, the sport better. His thirst to be better inspires his teammates to go further than they could ever imagine. His drive to win is personal, but it effects everyone around him.

Every time he launches himself at some jaw dropping angle I always think that maybe this is the time he doesn’t get up, maybe this is the time he takes a break and yet he never stays down, always gets up, jersey dirty, blood showing through from his perpetually wounded hips, eyes cast to the ground, his shoulders slouched due to his terrible posture, deep in thought about what he needs to do, the next step in the process towards winning this point. It is so vivid cause it happens so often and everyone who has played with him can close their eyes and see it.

I would vote for Will not based on this image, but based on everything he does for his team and the sport that led to making that moment possible and also for all the goodness that a person like Will will bring after that moment, regardless of the outcome.

Will Neff for Callahan

- Ben Faust played with Will on Twisted Metal and coached him at Northeastern

As Will’s former captain on Twisted Metal from 2004-06 I’d just like to add that Will is among the most phenomenal teammates and competitors I have ever been around. Will, as a mere teenager (though anyone that really knows Will might argue he was never an ordinary teenager), hoisted the entirety of Metal onto his back and simply refused to allow us to lose games. His ability to make big plays in big moments is unparalleled in the sport and the fact that he is still playing college ultimate is unbelievable.

Will embodies everything that the Callahan Award stands for. He has the utmost respect for every opponent and truely makes all of his teammates better players and better people. As you can see from his highlight video he has amazing pulls, amazing hucks, amazing breaks and amazing grabs. He’s also been known to Neff an opponent or two in his day. What you might not be able to see from his highlight video is the way he carries himself on the field, how everything he does is selfless and for his team, how he makes people on both teams want to play harder and better, how he is a constant positive force in a sport that can get down right nasty in the heat of the moment.

I’m sure there are many, many qualified candidates for the 2009 Callahan Award, but Will Neff should be your choice.

- Jason Adams coached Will on Twisted Metal

I played against Will in college when he was at Northeastern and when he was on Metal and his considerable skills and sick plays were show stoppers, but what stands out for me was how he carried himself. The reason he’s so good isn’t just the plays he makes, but the way he acts after those he doesn’t make. He’s a leader. Also, against Will you know competition will be fierce but fair—he has the utmost respect for the game and knows he can win playing by the rules rather than playing around with them.

Besides, you don’t get a resume like Will’s by being pretty good; you get it by being the best.

- Jack “Handy” Hanlon played against Will in club and college ultimate

I was an assistant coach when Will was just considering Michigan as his next school. I was to give him a tour of the campus. I picked him up at the local library, and here was this gigantic goofy-smiling dude wearing ripped, stained, paint-covered jeans and a sleeveless tee, the type where the sleeve-holes are cut open down to the very bottom of the shirt, and really he was just wearing a large billowing sheet. He was almost topless. This was my first interaction with Will, and it’s always stuck in my memory, as somehow fitting.

He’s always gigantic— on and off the field. On the field it is more obvious. When he goes up for a disc, his catch-point is somewhere around 11’6”. Further, when he goes horizontal, he goes really, really far. Lastly, marking him is like what you imagine marking Kevin Garnett to be like. Hard.

Off the field it’s a bit more subtle. He’s not an overpowering cocksure type. Rather, he’s a mixture of charisma, fiery passion, and an almost childlike wonder for the greatness that can be achieved through all aspects of life. There is very little cynicism in Will, and it is infectious. There’s simply a joy to everything. I think it is this aspect that makes Will such a phenomenal leader, teammate, and friend.

My Callahan vote is always reserved for those players that are both great on the field, and whom I hold a lot of respect for. Will falls squarely in this category. I’d want him on my team and in my life.

- Tyler Kinley is a former coach and teammate of Will

When I read the praise that others have written about him, I find it remarkable how simply accurate it is — not overstated, not understated, just true. When every aspect of a player’s game and a player’s person is rock-solid, the “hype” for him does not sound like overblown promotion — it’s just honest commentary about interactions with an exceptional individual.

In my experience with Will, a couple of things stand out. First, I have never seen a player care so much and play and lead so intensely, yet constantly maintain such a pleasant and easy-going demeanor. I want to call it maturity and self-control, but it does not seem like something learned or something he works hard at — it just seems natural.

Second there are all the big plays that Will makes on the field. They look so easy that I’ve come to expect them. I no longer say, “Oh my god, how’d he do that?!” Instead, I just say, “Wow, Will is really good.” It is not until I step back a second that I remember that not everybody is doing this stuff routinely. This highlight video contains footage from only three tournaments, yet it shows Will doing it all and runs for four minutes!

Will Neff is a great Callahan candidate, meeting all criteria in a nationally impressive manner.

- Colin McIntyre played on a club team with Will and is an acive magnUM Alum

Will is incredible! I spent my rookie year on MagnUM with a gaping mouth. Point after point I felt, and continue to feel, an undeniable urge to go inform Will of how utterly impeccable his most recent play was. The pure genius of his prowess is remarkable, but what spurs me to continue to commend him is his modesty. Neff will throw a perfect full field huck, or make a sick layout D, and after the point he just jogs off the field with his teammates, never demanding an ounce of gratitude. Such absolute skill combined with a complete lack of pretension is a unique trait; instead of demanding praise Will unknowingly provokes admiration.

This extremely rare combination not only makes Will an exemplary teammate but a fantastic captain and leader. His charisma, work ethic, and appreciation of every single teammate makes him the best ultimate player, captain, and leader I have ever encountered. Will Neff is the ideal ultimate player and fully embodies the description of the Callahan award.

- Derek Towster is a second year player on magnUM

I’m an Ultimate Mom and have housed multiple high school and college teams in our Atlanta home over the past 12 years. Maybe Will plays a good game of Ultimate, but if the Spirit of the Game begins with representing the sport to all types, good humor, and pitching-in-to-make-moms-want-to-host-Ultimate-Teams count for something, then Will Neff would get my 100% support! He has been such a great leader of his team when they stayed at our house for Terminus and for pitstops to and from spring break training… from a host’s point of view, Will is TOPS!

- Betsy Eggers is a magnUM parent who has hosted the team during tournaments

While Will’s competitive ultimate resume is impressive, his greatest contribution to the ARHS teams was his leadership. Since his early days in the Amherst program, Will garnered attention for his height (of course), his considerable skills, and his commitment to the sport. If there was ultimate to be played in the Valley, he was there: day camp, NUTC, summer league, hat tournaments, intramural league, Amherst Invitational, college tournaments, and, eventually, regional club teams. He is one of the few players to make the varsity team as a freshman. He was elected captain as a sophomore-the only player ever to do so- and no one was really surprised. He was the rare type of player who could bring out the best in others, by playing his hardest on the field and commanding attention in the huddle. The coaches had to say very little when he was captain. He either knew what we were going to say or he had noticed something that we had overlooked.

From what I hear, he has carried these qualities into his college and club careers. Clearly a Callahan candidate of the highest caliber.

- Tiina Booth coached Will at Amherst Regional HS

Over the past two years, I’ve had the great privilege to play with, and now coach, a player who I truly feel exemplifies what the Callahan Award is all about. I had heard a lot of great things about the type of player Will is before he arrived in Ann Arbor. He has not disappointed in that regard. What I hadn’t heard much about was the humble teammate, inspirational leader, and respectful opponent that Will is every time he steps on the field. If you’ve never met or played against Will, ask around. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone without good things to say about the guy.

- Ryan Purcell is Will’s former co-captain/teammate and current coach on magnUM

Will Neff is the reason I came to Michigan. I was undecided between U of M and Carleton, but when a mutual friend told me there was a good chance that Will would transfer to Michigan, I knew where I was headed. I chose Michigan for the opportunity to play two seasons with Will.

Will Neff is the best player in college ultimate. There are flashier players and a few guys that can cut better or throw farther, but nobody matches Will’s all around game. His skills, smarts, and experience are matched by his length, athleticism and work ethic; the result is the dominant college player. His defense is battle tested (four years of elite club D-lines), and he consistently gets catch-blocks against top players. On the other side of the disc, he balances selflessness with studliness. He shares the disc, executes the offense and breaks the mark on a whim, but when magnUM needs it, he’ll effectively end the point with a hammer or break huck or a big catch over his defender.

He has a brilliant mind for ultimate — Amherst grown, Boston nourished — and his leadership is positive, intense, and sincere … albeit goofy. He has heavily influenced, if not revolutionized, Michigan’s program and he inspires every teammate to get better. As an opponent, he is respectful and fair without being soft; he is fierce and aggressive without cheating or being a d***.

Check the highlights. Neff for Callahan.

- Ollie Honderd is Will’s co-captain and teammate on magnUM

On the Ultimate field, Will is without a doubt the most gifted leader I have ever known. I coached against him and his Amherst HS team for 4 years, got the opportunity to work with him directly as one of the coaches of the US National team that competed at the 2004 World Championships in Finland, and have never been more impressed with a young athlete and leader. He was a huge reason we captured gold!

While Will’s skills and leadership were admittedly a boil on my backside during his days at Amherst, you couldn’t help but be impressed with his work ethic, composure, focus, and his remarkable vision… He just sees the game, gets the game, and has tremendous anticipation. And on top of that, well, Will is just a swell guy, one I am proud to have worked with and been beaten by.

- Michael Baccarini coached Paideia against Will’s Amherst HS teams and coached him on the US National team at Worlds in 2004

The first time I saw Will play, he toed the line catching an errant pass that had absolutely no business being caught. From his ridiculous hammers to his patented in cut layout catch D, the highlight reel has been nonstop. Highlights aside, what really makes Will special is his character. With many stars, an outsized ego comes hand in hand with talent. Not with Will. In every practice he’s the consummate teammate helping everyone from this rookie to 5th year players get better. And on game day you can’t find a better mixture of leadership and sportsmanship.

- Adam van Staveren is a 1st year player on magnUM