Ex-wrestler Neal shoots into starting role for Pats
By JEFF LEGWOLD
February 1, 2005
New England Patriots right guard Stephen Neal has been on both sides of this year’s Super Bowl fence.
Neal, who was a championship wrestler at Cal State Bakersfield and did not play college football, spent time with both New England and Philadelphia in 2001.
The Patriots took a flyer on Neal as an undrafted rookie in July 2001, but he was so raw they released him a month later. The Eagles then signed him to their practice squad that September and he remained there until the Patriots signed him to their active roster Dec. 12, 2001.
He has been with them since, having just finished his first season as a starter.
“But he didn’t know how to put his pads on, he didn’t know what a huddle was, “Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “But he worked hard and he had good athletic ability and he’s really a determined kid. We played him on defense; that definitely didn’t work out, so we moved him to offense. That worked better.”
In trying to get ready for some kind of NFL future after his wrestling career at Bakersfield, Neal visited Ohio State to work with one of the Buckeyes’ strength coaches.
Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, who lives in Columbus, Ohio, and often works out on the Ohio State campus, loaned Neal some equipment for one of those workouts.
“He just showed up in a pair of wrestling shoes and some shorts and stuff, “Vrabel said. “And I said, ‘Well, we have to get you outfitted to look like a football player.’ I gave him some shoes and stuff and from the first time he went and did a drill, you could see he had potential. Whatever position it is, he had potential. He had natural athletic ability.”
After playing in only two games in his first three seasons combined, Neal started the last 14 games of the regular season for the Patriots as well as their two playoff games.
He went 156-10 as a collegiate wrestler, including two NCAA titles.
“Through his hard work and diligence and a lot of repetitions . . . he’s really grown as a football player and his understanding of the game . . . ” Belichick said. “It’s an awesome story because of his hard work and his effort.”
“I got down a couple of times because the team won the Super Bowl, but I really wasn’t part of it, “Neal said. “I felt like I got a Super Bowl ring, but I really didn’t earn it. My family said you really have because you worked so hard.”
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