It’s the showdown for Morgan Hill bragging rights between former
Live Oak High standouts Ryan Neufeld, the Bills’ starting tight
end, and Jeff Ulbrich, a starting linebacker for the 49ers.
Morgan Hill – Could there be a better late Christmas present for local football fans than Sunday’s NFL game between Buffalo and San Francisco at Monster Park?
No, it’s not the matchup between the suddenly resurgent Bills and the struggling 49ers that’s the attraction. Please.
Rather, it’s the showdown for Morgan Hill bragging rights between former Live Oak High standouts Ryan Neufeld, the Bills’ starting tight end, and Jeff Ulbrich, a starting linebacker for the 49ers. In fact, Neufeld and Ulbrich, off-season friends who played together on the 1994 Live Oak football team that fell just short of winning a Central Coast Section title, will be literally in each other’s faces for much of Sunday’s 1pm game.
Former Live Oak coach Norm Dow, who coached the two players on the 1994 squad, said he’ll be glued to his TV set for the contest.
“Unless you’re a coach at Notre Dame, to have two (former) players playing against each other in the NFL is incredible,” Dow said. “Those are two of my favorites. They both had great attitudes. They’re great guys. They’re both the type of guys you’d want your daughter to marry, as the saying goes.”
Neufeld, 29, and Ulbrich, 28, stayed in touch after leaving Live Oak for college. The former played at UCLA and the latter at Gavilan and Hawaii. They both say they’re good friends who see each other regularly in Morgan Hill.
But their friendship will have to be put on hold for Sunday’s clash.
According to Ulbrich, he will be largely responsible for covering the 6-foot-4, 250-pound Neufeld on pass plays, and the two will also likely tangle some on running plays. The 6-foot, 250-pound Ulbrich, a key cog in the 49er defense, took over pass coverage responsibilities from teammate Julian Peterson when the All-Pro was lost to injury earlier this season.
“For at least 25 percent of the game, if not half the time, we’ll be matched up,” Ulbrich said. “He seems like he has the complete package. He’s always had great speed, so he’s definitely a threat. It’ll be a challenge.”
Neufeld agreed that playing against Ulbrich will be challenging and intriguing.
“We know each other real well,” he said. “We’re real close.”
This will be the first time the duo have competed against each other since practices at Live Oak a decade ago.
Dow, who coached at Live Oak for 18 years beginning in 1980, said that season’s Acorn team was one of the best he ever had. Neufeld, a senior tight end that season who had blossomed from a 185-pound split end as a sophomore, and Ulbrich, a junior free safety, led the team to a Monterey Bay League title and into the CCS playoffs.
Neufeld was signed by Buffalo last season, and made the team, playing 16 games mostly as the third tight end and special teams player. In the offseason, he was second on the depth chart at tight end behind starter Mark Campbell before the Bills drafted rookie TE Tim Euhus in the fourth round.
Then, just a few weeks ago, both Campbell and Euhus were lost for the season with knee injuries and Neufeld had his first real starting spot in the NFL.
