Leslie O'Neal
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| Position: | Defensive end / Linebacker | ||||||||
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| Date of birth: | May 7, 1964 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Little Rock, Arkansas | ||||||||
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| High school: | Little Rock (AR) Hall | ||||||||
| College: | Oklahoma State | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8 | ||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Leslie Claudis O'Neal (born May 7, 1964) is a former football defensive end who played 13 years in the National Football League (NFL). He spent the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers before finishing with the St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. He was a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl selection during his pro career.
O'Neal was a two-time All-American playing college football with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He joined the Chargers after they selected him in the first round with the eight overall pick in the 1986 NFL draft. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but suffered a major knee injury at the end of his first season. He returned within two years, and finished his career as the Chargers all-time leader in sacks. As of 2013, he ranked 10th all-time in NFL history in sacks.
College career
O'Neal played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and twice earned All-American honors.[1] He was a Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year, and earned All-Big Eight honors for three consecutive years. He finished his Cowboys career ranked fifth all-time in tackles with 351.[2]
Pro career
O'Neal was chosen in the first round with the eight overall pick in the 1986 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1986 after recording 12 1⁄2 sacks for the season, including a team-record five on November 16 against the Dallas Cowboys. However, his season ended prematurely with a knee injury that sidelined him for almost two seasons.[1]
He returned during the 1988 season on October 16, and returned to his dominant form the following season, when he again had 12 1⁄2 sacks, and was rewarded with the first of six Pro Bowl selections. O'Neal led the Chargers in sacks every season from 1990 through 1995. He played his final four seasons with the St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.[1]
He finished his Chargers career as the team's all-time leader in sacks (105 1⁄2). He was named to the Chargers 40th and 50th anniversary teams, and was inducted to the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame as well as the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.[1][3] Through the 2013 season, he ranked 10th all-time in the NFL in sacks with (132 1⁄2), tied with Lawrence Taylor.[1]
References
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- Career statistics and player information from Pro Football Reference
- Pages with reference errors
- NFL player using deprecated currentteam parameter
- NFL player with pastcoaching parameter
- NFL player with pastexecutive parameter
- 1964 births
- Living people
- All-American college football players
- American Conference Pro Bowl players
- American football defensive ends
- American football linebackers
- Kansas City Chiefs players
- National Football League Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winners
- Oklahoma State Cowboys football players
- San Diego Chargers players
- St. Louis Rams players
- Sportspeople from Little Rock, Arkansas
