Lorenzo LaVonne Neal (born December 27, 1970) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a
fullback in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for sixteen seasons. Neal played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
Fresno State Bulldogs
The Fresno State Bulldogs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent California State University, Fresno (commonly referred to as Fresno State). The university is a member of NCAA Division I's Mountain West Conference (MW). It was a ...
. He was drafted by the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in the fourth round of the
1993 NFL Draft
The 1993 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot Ma ...
. A four-time
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
selection and three-time
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
, he was also a member of the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
,
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
,
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
,
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
,
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, and
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. Considered one of the best blocking fullbacks in NFL history, Neal blocked for a 1,000+ yard running back in eleven straight seasons from 1997 to 2007.
Early years
Neal attended
Lemoore High School
Lemoore Union High School (commonly known as Lemoore High School or Lemoore High) is a public school located in Lemoore, California. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is accredited through the California Department of Education. Its enrollment ...
in
Lemoore, California
Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 2 ...
and was a
letterman
Letterman may refer to:
* Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States
People
* David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host
** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...
in
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
. He set many rushing records for the Tigers football team with over 2,000 yards in rushing in a season, which would later be broken by Nick Sula. In wrestling, he won a state championship as a
senior
Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to:
* Senior (name), a surname ...
. Neal still owns the California state record for fastest pin in a match.
College career
Neal originally signed with
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
in February 1989, but didn't qualify academically and was denied admission. He then enrolled at
Fresno State University
California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bache ...
that August, where he played for the
Fresno State Bulldogs football
The Fresno State Bulldogs football team represents California State University, Fresno in NCAA Division I FBS college football as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The green "V" on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, and playing field symboli ...
team from 1989 to 1992. During his four college seasons, he rushed for 2,405 yards. He was an All-
Big West
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific ...
selection his junior and senior seasons. He also wrestled and placed seventh, earning All-American honors at the 1992
NCAA wrestling tournament in the .
heavyweight class.
Neal finished his career as the school’s second-leading rusher with 2,405 yards and played in the Japan Bowl All-Star Game.
He defeated a sumo wrestler in an exhibition match in Japan during the Japan Bowl.
[Lorenzo Neal: About](_blank)
He graduated with a degree in criminal justice.
In 1991, he ran for 837 yards and 8 touchdowns. In 1992, he ran for 988 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Professional career
New Orleans Saints
Neal was selected in the
fourth round (89th overall) of the
1993 NFL Draft
The 1993 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot Ma ...
by the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
.
Neal, as a
halfback made his NFL debut on September 5, against the
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 as ...
and led the team in rushing with 13 carries for 89 yards, it was his first of two starts as a
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
. Just seven days later, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury during a road game against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
. Then on September 15, he was placed on
Injured Reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
, ending his season. He was later told he would not be able to run as he had before, so his coaches proposed the idea that he be switched to fullback.
Then in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, he set career high with 30 carries for 90 yards and one
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
. In
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
, he caught a career-long 69-yard touchdown pass during a road game against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
on December 3. In
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
, he set career highs with 31 receptions for 194 receiving yards in his last season with the Saints.
New York Jets
In
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, Neal signed with the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, on March 31. In his one season with the team, he helped running back
Adrian Murrell
Adrian Byran Murrell (born October 16, 1970) is a former professional American football running back. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft after playing collegiately for the West Virginia Mountaineers. ...
rush for 1,086 yards.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
On March 12,
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, Neal was traded to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
for a fifth-round pick. In his season in Tampa Bay, he helped
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn (born January 5, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 ...
rush for 1,026 yards. He was then released by the Buccaneers on February 11, 1999.
Tennessee Titans
On March 23,
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
, Neal signed with the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. During his first season with the team, he helped
Eddie George
Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American football coach and former player who is the current head coach at Tennessee State. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily f ...
rush for 1,304 yards in the regular season, and two 100-yard games in the playoffs. Neal fielded the kick of the "
Music City Miracle
The Music City Miracle was an American football play that took place on January 8, 2000, during the National Football League's (NFL) 1999–2000 playoffs. It occurred at the end of the American Football Conference (AFC) Wild Card playoff game be ...
" against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, where he handed it off to
Frank Wycheck
Frank John Wycheck (born October 14, 1971) is a former American football tight end and sports talk radio host. He played college football at the University of Maryland. As a professional, Wycheck played 11 seasons for the Washington Redskins an ...
, who would throw the game winning lateral to
Kevin Dyson
Kevin Tyree Dyson (born June 23, 1975) is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 16th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah.
Dyson is best ...
. Neal and the Titans would appear in
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV was an American football game played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on January 30, 2000, to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1999 NFL season, 1999 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champ ...
against the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
, losing 23-16. He was also selected to ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''’s All-Joe team.
In
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, Neal helped George rush for 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns. Neal was named the "NFL's Best Blocking Fullback" by the ''
Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
''. He was also named to ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
s midseason All-Pro team. He was also named a
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
third-alternate. He was released by the Titans on March 1, 2001.
Cincinnati Bengals
After two seasons with the Titans, and one
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
appearance, Neal signed with the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
on May 8, 2001, where in his first season with the team, he helped
Corey Dillon
Corey James Dillon (born October 24, 1974) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. Dillon played college football at Washing ...
rush for 1,315 yards. After the season, Neal was named to ''USA Today's'' All-Joe team. He was also selected as a Pro Bowl second-alternate.
In
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, Neal helped Dillon rush for 1,311 yards. He also recorded a one-yard touchdown reception, against his former team, the Tennessee Titans on October 27. He also was selected to his first
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
.
San Diego Chargers
On March 3,
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, Neal signed with the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
and began the longest stint of his career, with one team, five seasons. During his first season blocking for
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers se ...
, he helped him rush for 1,645 yards and the team to rush for a total of 2,146 yards. Tomlinson became Neal's fifth 1,000 yard rusher he blocked for. He scored his first touchdown of the season on a three-yard run on the road against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
on September 28. He also carried the ball three times for seven yards in short yardage situations against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
on September 21, all three of which resulted in first downs. He recorded a season-high seven carries for 22 yards on the road against the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
on October 19. For the season, he was named to ''USA Todays All-Joe team, as well as a Pro Bowl First-alternate.
In
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, Neal helped Tomlinson rush for 1,335 yards and the Chargers rush for 2,185 yards as total. Neal also recorded a 12-yard kickoff return against his former team, the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
on December 12. He was also named Chargers Alumni Player of Week after rushing four times for season-high 16 yards on the road against the Browns on December 19. He was, once again, named to ''USA Todays All-Joe team. He was also, named a Pro Bowl first-alternate, once again.
The
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
season began with an historic moment in Neal's career, he played in his 200th career game, in the season opener against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. A game in which he recorded three carries on short yardage plays, all resulting in first downs. For the season he was named a
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
starter. He was also named to the "All-Interview" team by ''NFL.com''. On October 28, 2005, he signed a two-year contract extension through 2007.
In
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Neal helped Tomlinson and
Michael Turner record 194-rushing yards for the September 11 season opening 27–0 win in Oakland. The Chargers scored two rushing touchdowns, one by Tomlinson and one by Turner. Neal helped block for a 241-rushing yard performance against the Titans in a 40–7 Week 2 win, which included two Tomlinson rushing touchdowns. On October 15, during a road game against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, Neal helped Tomlinson tie a team record and set a career-high with four rushing touchdowns. In the Chargers 35–27 win over the Browns on November 5, Neal played in his 200th-consecutive game and helped the Chargers rush for 190 yards and three touchdowns. During November 19, 35–27 Chargers win, he helped Tomlinson rush for 105 yards and three touchdowns, which put Tomlinson over 1,000 yards for season, marking the 10th-straight year Neal was the lead blocker for a 1,000-yard rusher. He scored his first touchdown of the season against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
on December 10, on four-yard trick play run called the “Bumarooski” late in first quarter, it was his first rushing touchdown since September 28, 2003 at Oakland and gave the Chargers a 14–0 lead. He also threw a key block on
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
Linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
Kendrell Bell
Kendrell Alexander Bell (born July 2, 1980) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Georgia Bulldogs football, Georgia and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, where he ...
that helped Tomlinson run for a career-long 85-yard touchdown on December 17, it was the third-longest run in team history. Neal also helped contribute to the Chargers recording 265 rushing yards, fifth-most in team history. He was named to his third
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
and was a First-team All-Pro selection by the ''
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
'', ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', ''
Sports Weekly
''USA Today Sports Weekly'' is an American sports newsmagazine owned by the Gannett Company. A spin-off publication to Gannett's flagship newspaper ''USA Today'', it focuses on coverage of baseball news from Major League Baseball (MLB), Minor Le ...
'' and ''
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc.
History
Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including: ...
''.
In
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, Neal had his streak of 221 consecutive games played come to an end when he was inactive for Week 14 against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, while he recovered from a
broken leg
The human leg, in the general word sense, is the entire lower limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh or sometimes even the hip or gluteal region. However, the definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb ext ...
suffered the previous week against the Titans; he had not missed a game since 1994. Against the Chiefs, he helped Tomlinson surpass 1,000 yards, marking the 11th-straight season as the lead blocker for a 1,000 yard rusher. Neal recorded a touchdown reception on a fourth-and-goal play in Week 2 on the road against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, (his first touchdown reception since 2005). He was named to his fourth
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
and was named First-team All-Pro by the ''Associated Press'' and All-NFL by ''USA Today'' and ''Sports Weekly''. On February 28, 2008, Neal was waived by San Diego.
Baltimore Ravens
On August 12, 2008, the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
signed Neal to a one-year contract.
Neal played in his first game with the Ravens Week one against the Bengals, when he served as the back-up to
Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron De'Mar McClain (born December 27, 1984) is a former American football Fullback (American football), fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Alabama, and was drafted by the ...
and helped the Ravens rush for 229 yards and recorded one reception for 13 yards. During Week 2, he carried the ball once for two yards and helped the Ravens hold the ball for 13:18 in the fourth quarter against the Browns. During Week 5, on the road against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
he subbed for McClain and helped protect
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Joe Flacco
Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Delaware after transferring from Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Baltim ...
, allowing him to set career-highs with a 73.7% completion and 241 passing yards. During Week 8 in Cleveland, Neal subbed for McClain and helped the Ravens rush for a season high 193 yards in the 37–27 victory. He also carried the ball once for two yards. In Week 10 (at the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
), Neal started his first game as a Raven and helped protect Joe Flacco, allowing him to complete 60.6% of his passes and holding the Giants to just one sack.
Oakland Raiders
Neal was signed by the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
on May 8, 2009. He was waived/injured on August 19 to make room for safety
Rashad Baker
Rashad Steward Baker (born February 22, 1982) is a former American football Safety (American football position), safety. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Tennessee Volunteers foo ...
and subsequently reverted to
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
. He was released by the Raiders with an injury settlement on August 26.
[Raiders release veteran FB Neal after youngster O'Neal impresses](_blank)
He was expected to push
Oren O'Neal and
Luke Lawton
Richard Luke Lawton (born August 26, 1980 in New Iberia, Louisiana) is a former American football fullback. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at McNeese State.
Lawton has also b ...
for the starting fullback job.
In September 2009, Neal was selected to the ''
Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
Magazines Team of the Decade for the 2000s.
NFL statistics
Rushing Statistics
Personal life
Neal and wife Denisha have one son, Lorenzo Jr., and twin daughters, Nylya and Mia.
Lorenzo Jr. player college football at
Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
. After going undrafted in the
NFL draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
, Lorenzo Jr. was signed by the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
but was waived in August 2021. The
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
claimed Lorenzo Jr. off of waivers but he was waived during final roster cuts.
Podcast
Neal and Ray Oldhafer, long time cohort of
Adam Carolla
Adam Carolla (born May 27, 1964) is an American radio personality, comedian, actor and podcaster. He hosts '' The Adam Carolla Show'', a talk show distributed as a podcast which set the record as the "most downloaded podcast" as judged by ''Guin ...
, started the NFL Podcast "Ray and Lorenzo" under Carolla Digital, which was launched on September 6, 2013.
In 2018 Bleav podcast network launched a Chargers oriented podcast called "Bleav in Chargers". Since 2020 Lorenzo has hosted the podcast with Chargers beat writer Fernando Ramirez, who joined Lorenzo in February 2021.
Radio career
Neal was a co-host on the morning show ''Mornings with Joe, Lo, and Dibs'' on
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
radio station
95.7 The Game until 2020. He is now a guest/substitute host at the station.
References
External links
Official WebsiteNew York Jets bioOakland Raiders bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neal, Lorenzo
1970 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Fresno, California
Players of American football from California
African-American players of American football
American football fullbacks
Fresno State Bulldogs football players
New Orleans Saints players
New York Jets players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Tennessee Titans players
Cincinnati Bengals players
San Diego Chargers players
Baltimore Ravens players
Oakland Raiders players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
People from Hanford, California
People from Lemoore, California
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American sportspeople