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Stephen Neal (born October 9, 1976 in San Diego, California) is an American football offensive lineman for the New England Patriots of the National Football League.
[edit] High school years
Neal attended San Diego Senior High School in San Diego, California and was a letterman in football, wrestling, swimming, tennis, and track and field. In wrestling, as a senior, he posted a 45-2 record and placed fourth at the California State Wrestling Tournament in the 189 pound weight class.
[edit] NCAA wrestling
Neal is a native of San Diego, California. He did not play football in college. Instead he was a one of the top wrestlers in the nation at Cal State-Bakersfield. He compiled a 151-10 record. He placed fourth in the NCAA division 1 as a freshman and second as a sophomore before winning titles his junior and senior year. His final title in 1999 came via a win over future WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. In 1999, Neal won the Dan Hodge Award - known as the Heisman Trophy of wrestling - following a year in which he won the U.S. Freestyle Championship, the Pan-American Games title and the World Championships at 286 pounds. His 1999 season led up to the 2000 Summer Olympics try-outs where Kerry McCoy edged him for the trip to Sydney. After the tryouts, Neal retired from amateur wrestling.
[edit] NFL career
He was signed by the New England Patriots on July 23, 2001. He didn't play at all that year, or in 2003, but due to injuries on the offensive line, he was thrust into the starting lineup for the 2004 season. Neal re-signed with the Patriots after testing the free-agency market following the 2005 season.
