Leon O'Neal Jr. (born December 23, 1998) is an American professional football defensive back for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Texas A&M. He has also been a member of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL), the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL, and the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (IFL).
![]() O'Neal with the Edmonton Elks in 2024 | |
No. 32 – Edmonton Elks | |
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Position: | Defensive back |
Personal information | |
Born: | Cypress, Texas, U.S. | December 23, 1998
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Weight: | 204 lb (93 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Cypress (Cypress, Texas) |
College: | Texas A&M (2018–2021) |
Undrafted: | 2022 |
Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Roster status: | Active |
CFL status: | American |
Player stats at CFL.ca |
Early life
editO'Neal played high school football at Cypress Springs High School in Cypress, Texas.[1][2] He recorded 78 tackles, five forced fumbles, and four pass breakups his senior year.[1] He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[3]
College career
editO'Neal played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies from 2018 to 2021.[1][4][5] He played in all 13 games his freshman year in 2018, totaling 14 tackles, one interception and one pass breakup.[1] He appeared in all 13 games, starting 10, in 2019, accumulating 41 tackles, one interception, and three pass breakups. O'Neal started all 10 games during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, recording 48 tackles, two interceptions, and three pass breakups.[1] He started all 12 games during his senior season in 2021, totaling a career-high 58 tackles, one sack, five pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and two interceptions, one of which was returned 85 yards for a touchdown.[1]
Overall, he recorded 161 tackles, one sack, six interceptions, 12 pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown during his college career.[6]
Professional career
editHeight | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 0+1⁄2 in (1.84 m) |
204 lb (93 kg) |
31+5⁄8 in (0.80 m) |
10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) |
4.71 s | 1.65 s | 2.71 s | 4.22 s | 6.83 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) |
10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) |
15 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[7][8] |
San Francisco 49ers
editAfter going undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft, O'Neal signed with the San Francisco 49ers on May 13, 2022.[9][10][11] He was waived/injured on August 10 and reverted to injured reserve the next day. He was waived from injured reserve on August 12, 2024.[10]
Saskatchewan Roughriders
editO'Neal was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on February 13, 2023. He was released on June 4, 2023.[10]
Massachusetts Pirates
editAfter being released by the Roughriders, O'Neal played for the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (IFL). On July 2, 2023, he entered the crowd to confont a fan.[12] He was suspended indefinitely by the IFL the next day.[13]
Edmonton Elks
editO'Neal signed with the Edmonton Elks of the CFL on January 17, 2024.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Leon O'Neal Jr". 12thman.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Holland, EJ (February 5, 2018). "Four-star DB Leon O'Neal Jr. recommits to Texas A&M". dallasnews.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ "Texas A&M commit Leon O'Neal Jr. celebrates U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection". USA Today. November 3, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Miller, Alex (March 2, 2020). "Texas A&M safety Leon O'Neal not officially in transfer portal". dallasnews.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Underwood, Hannah (July 1, 2020). "10 things to know about Texas A&M S Leon O'Neal Jr., including the origin of his #WakeEmUp social media campaign". dallasnews.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ "Leon O'Neal Jr". sports-reference.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ "Leon O'Neal Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "2022 NFL Draft Scout Leon O'Neal Jr. College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ May 1, 2022. "49ers rookie safety Leon O'Neal Jr. on going undrafted: 'I will never, ever forget the names they called'". profootballnetwork.com. pp. Wilson, Aaron. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d "Leon O'Neal". Footballdb.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Dimmitt, Zach (April 30, 2022). "Aggies DB Leon O'Neal Jr. Signs Undrafted Free Agent Deal With 49ers". si.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Cole (July 6, 2023). "Aggies Ex-DB Leon O'Neal Suspended By Indoor Football League". si.com. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ "STATEMENT FROM THE COMMISSIONER". goifl.com. July 3, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2024.