What a monster
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Neal was a stud, but he never stayed healthy. He was always out with a bum shoulder.
Carlton Haselrig is another guy who wrestled in college and did not play college football who had a great NFL career.
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Stephen Neal played in 86 games and won three Super Bowl rings.
Before football, he was a dominant heavyweight wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield. He was 2x NCAA Division I champion, 4x All American and in 1999 he swept the Dan Hodge Award, US Freestyle Championship, Pan American Games and World Championships, beating Brock Lesnar in the NCAA finals.
He retired from the NFL in 2011 and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. He now works as a wrestling coach and motivational speaker.
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R.I.P Jeff Blatnick
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Haselrig did play college football briefly at Lock Haven. I think he left midway through the semester and went to UPJ. I’m not sure if he played in any games, but he was definitely there for football.
It’s either a bum or a shoulder, isn’t it? I don’t think it can be both.
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iirc he got hurt Fr. year and sat out of school a year before showing up at Pitt- Johnstown. Back then if you placed high enough in D2 you could then wrestle D1 Championships the next week which wound up getting him 6 titles and leading to the rule change .
One of the few men to say “That’s not a sword it’s a dick!” to Brock Lesnar and lived to tell the tale.
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