O'Neal was a two-time All-American playing college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He joined the Chargers after they selected him in the first round with the eighth 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.
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]
On March 11, 2020, O’Neal was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player.[3] He is Oklahoma State's sixth member of the Hall of Fame.[4]
Professional career
O'Neal was chosen in the first round with the eighth overall pick in the 1986 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers.[5] He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1986 after recording 12+1⁄2sacks for the season, including a team-record five on November 16 against the Dallas Cowboys. However, his season ended prematurely due to a knee injury that sidelined him for almost two seasons.[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 Chargers Hall of Fame as well as the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.[1][7] Through the 2013 season, he ranked 10th all-time in the NFL in sacks with (132+1⁄2), tied with Lawrence Taylor when excluding the 9.5 sacks the latter accumulated in his rookie season due to not being an official statistic that time.[1]
^"O'Neal and Chargers Agree to 3-Year Pact". The New York Times. AP. August 21, 1993. p. 30. Retrieved October 2, 2019. Defensive end Leslie O'Neal, who led the American Football Conference with a career-high 17 sacks last year, signed a three-year contract with the San Diego Chargers yesterday.