Wildo7
Totally Full of It
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Here's a pretty decent article on Neal that was written leading up to the 3rd SB. He talks about how wrestling skills help in football as well as his background and coming into the league:
http://www.usoc.org/73_30185.htm
At the 2000 Olympic Trials and 2001 World Team Trials, he lost in the finals to a talented Kerry McCoy and was No. 2 in the USA in freestyle wrestling. The summer after the 2001 Trials, he decided to become a pro football player. Fellow Olympic medalist wrestler Matt Ghaffari introduced Neal to a friend who was involved with pro football. Neal ended up with a football tryout. He did so well that he was signed and invited to training camp with the New England Patriots. At the end of camp, he was cut by the Patriots.
“When he got back home after that first training camp, he saw how down I was about him getting cut,” said Kerr. “He said to me, ‘It’s all right; I am going to get picked up.’ Now, 32 teams just let 30 guys go, so how can Stephen think he is going to get picked up? But he was right.”
The Philadelphia Eagles placed Neal on their practice squad, and he played with them most of the year, until the Patriots took him back for their practice squad near the end of the season. That was the year New England won its first Super Bowl, and Neal won his first Super Bowl ring.
He was on the active roster that last two years, but injuries kept him from finding out how good a football player he could be. This year, injury free, Neal made the starting lineup and has been a strong contributor to the offense.
And here's a pretty good compilation highlight video of Neal manhandling some people. You can tell from his balance and leverage why he's a good football player:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9GmTruIdFc
http://www.usoc.org/73_30185.htm
At the 2000 Olympic Trials and 2001 World Team Trials, he lost in the finals to a talented Kerry McCoy and was No. 2 in the USA in freestyle wrestling. The summer after the 2001 Trials, he decided to become a pro football player. Fellow Olympic medalist wrestler Matt Ghaffari introduced Neal to a friend who was involved with pro football. Neal ended up with a football tryout. He did so well that he was signed and invited to training camp with the New England Patriots. At the end of camp, he was cut by the Patriots.
“When he got back home after that first training camp, he saw how down I was about him getting cut,” said Kerr. “He said to me, ‘It’s all right; I am going to get picked up.’ Now, 32 teams just let 30 guys go, so how can Stephen think he is going to get picked up? But he was right.”
The Philadelphia Eagles placed Neal on their practice squad, and he played with them most of the year, until the Patriots took him back for their practice squad near the end of the season. That was the year New England won its first Super Bowl, and Neal won his first Super Bowl ring.
He was on the active roster that last two years, but injuries kept him from finding out how good a football player he could be. This year, injury free, Neal made the starting lineup and has been a strong contributor to the offense.
And here's a pretty good compilation highlight video of Neal manhandling some people. You can tell from his balance and leverage why he's a good football player:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9GmTruIdFc
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