There are many paths to success, but they all have a common thread: Hard work. For Elijah O’Neal, that work ethic has helped him navigate a path from the Pacific northwest to junior college stardom to the Arizona desert.

He began to make an impact for the Sun Devil defense as last season went on, and his work over this past offseason led Kenny Dillingham to recently proclaim him the team’s most improved player. That leap will be needed, because he’s entered the season in the starting lineup for a defense with big expectations.

On this episode, Elijah and I discuss his football origin story, the lessons learned from his juco years, the biggest hits of his career, and more.