Julian Neal, a San Francisco native and Mission High School graduate, was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks — making him the first SFUSD graduate to hear his name called on NFL Draft day in decades. Let that sink in. Decades.

For a city that prides itself on its 49ers fandom, the irony isn't lost on anyone that Neal is heading to Seattle, of all places. As one SF resident put it: "I wish it was anyone but the Seahawks — or the Cowboys — but great for him!" The sentiment is pretty universal: we're proud, even if it stings a little.

But let's talk about the bigger picture here. San Francisco spends north of $16,000 per student annually in its public school system — one of the highest per-pupil expenditures in the country. We have elaborate administrative structures, equity consultants, and no shortage of mission statements about "empowering youth." And yet it's been decades since a single SFUSD graduate made it to the NFL draft. That's not entirely the district's fault — there are a thousand variables in professional athletics — but it does raise a question worth asking: are we actually investing in the kinds of programs, athletics included, that help young people build discipline, resilience, and real-world opportunity?

One local couldn't help but marvel at the odds, noting that Mission High's football field is only about 90 yards long — go check Google Earth. If Neal developed NFL-caliber talent on a short field in the middle of the Mission District, imagine what kids across the city could accomplish with proper investment in athletic facilities and coaching.

Julian Neal's story is a testament to individual grit and talent, not bureaucratic programming. He earned this. San Francisco should be proud of him — and honest about the fact that his success happened in spite of a system that hasn't produced a draftee in a generation, not because of it.

Congrats, Julian. Go make the city proud. Even if the jersey is the wrong shade of blue.