- Don McNeal
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Don McNeal 
Date of birth: May 6, 1958 Place of birth: Atmore, AL Career information Position(s): Cornerback Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Weight: 192 lb (87 kg) College: Alabama NFL Draft: 1980 / Round: 1 / Pick 21 Organizations As player: 1980-1989 Miami Dolphins Career highlights and awards Awards: 1982 and 1984 Dolphins' Player of the Year, Captain of the Team for the 1979 Crimson Tide Honors: Dolphins' Silver Anniversary team, 1992 Crimson Tide All-Centennial Team, 1979 First team All-American, 2 National Championships with the Crimson Tide, and 2 Super Bowl appearances with the Dolphins. Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com Don McNeal (born May 6, 1958) is a former American professional football player who played defensive back for the Miami Dolphins in the 1980s.
McNeal was born and raised in Atmore, Alabama. He is a 1976 graduate of Escambia County (Alabama) High School where he was a star on the football team. He played college football at the University of Alabama for the legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. McNeal played on Alabama's 1978 and 1979 national championship teams; he was Captain of the Team in 1979. In 1992, he was selected as a member of the University of Alabama All-Centennial Team.
The Miami Dolphins drafted McNeal as a defensive back in 1980. McNeal played in two Super Bowls with the Dolphins: Super Bowl XVII in January 1983 and Super Bowl XIX in January 1985. During the same two seasons that those Super Bowls were held (1982 & 1984), McNeal was named the Dolphins' Player of the Year. He retired at the end of the 1989 season having played his entire pro career with the Dolphins.
McNeal was involved in one of the more famous plays in the annals of professional football, which took place in Super Bowl XVII. Late in the game with fourth down and inches to go, McNeal was unable to bring down Washington Redskins running back John Riggins, and he rumbled 43 yards into the endzone for the game winning touchdown.[1] Riggins' Run is the Redskins' "Greatest Moment of all time" as voted on by Redskin fans. This became not only a famous play but also a famous photograph as well.
Today, McNeal is active in the community with associations that assist youth and adults. He serves as a drug-rehab counselor, teacher, coach, lay pastor, board member, and is a frequent public speaker. He is a pastor at New Testament Baptist Church in South Florida and speaker for Power Talent. His life is further described in his autobiography Home Team Advantage: From the fields of rural Alabama to the pro football field of the Miami Dolphins.[1][2]
On May 31, 2008 Don McNeal was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham, Alabama.
References
- ^ a b ESPN.com - E-Ticket: Super Victims
- ^ Amazon.com: Home Team Advantage: From the fields of rural Alabama to the pro football field of the Miami Dolphins: Books: Don McNeal
See also
Alabama Crimson Tide Football 1978 AP National Champions Buddy Aydelette | Byron Braggs | Billy Jackson | Amos Jones | E. J. Junior | Barry Krauss | Marty Lyons | Curtis McGriff | Don McNeal | Tony Nathan | Jeff Rutledge | Randy Scott | Steadman Shealy | Dwight Stephenson | Rich Wingo
Head Coach Bear Bryant
Coaches Ken Donahue | Sylvester Croom | Mal Moore | Bill OliverAlabama Crimson Tide Football 1979 Consensus National Champions Buddy Aydelette | Byron Braggs | Billy Jackson | Amos Jones | E. J. Junior | Eddie Lowe | Curtis McGriff | Don McNeal | Benny Perrin | Mike Pitts | Randy Scott | Steadman Shealy | Dwight Stephenson
Head Coach Bear Bryant
Coaches Ken Donahue | Sylvester Croom | Mal Moore | Bill Oliver50th Anniversary All-Time SEC Team Offense: QB Archie Manning, Ole Miss | RB Charley Trippi Georgia | RB Billy Cannon, LSU | RB Herschel Walker, Georgia | WR Don Hutson, Alabama| WR Terry Beasley, Auburn | TE Ozzie Newsome, Alabama
Coach Bear Bryant, Alabama, Kentucky
OL John Hannah, Alabama | OL Bruiser Kinard, Ole Miss | OL Bob Suffridge, Tennessee | G Billy Neighbors, Alabama | C Dwight Stephenson, Alabama
Defense: DE Jack Youngblood, Florida | DE Doug Atkins, Tennessee | DT Bill Stanfill, Georgia | DT Lou Michaels, Kentucky | DL Gaynell Tinsley, LSU | LB Jack Reynolds, Tennessee | LB D. D. Lewis, Miss. State | MLB Lee Roy Jordan, Alabama | DB Tucker Frederickson, Auburn| DB Jake Scott, Georgia | DB Tommy Casanova, LSU | DB Don McNeal, Alabama | DB Jimmy Patton, Ole Miss
Special Teams PK Fuad Reveiz, Tennessee | P Craig Colquitt, Tennessee1980 NFL Draft First Round Selections Billy Sims · Johnny Lam Jones · Anthony Muñoz · Bruce Clark · Curtis Dickey · Curtis Greer · Junior Miller · Mark Haynes · Doug Martin · Jacob Green · Brad Budde · Stan Brock · Earl Cooper · Roland James · Marc Wilson · Jim Ritcher · Johnnie Johnson · Art Monk · Otis Wilson · Jim Stuckey · Don McNeal · Ray Snell · Roynell Young · Derrick Hatchett · Vagas Ferguson · George Cumby · Charles White · Mark MaloneMiami Dolphins first-round draft picks J. Grabowski • R. Norton • B. Griese • L. Csonka • D. Crusan • B. Stanfill • M. Kadish • D. Reese • D. Carlton • L. Gordon • K. Bokamper • A. Duhe • J. Giesler • D. McNeal • D. Overstreet • R. Foster • D. Marino • J. Shipp • L. Hampton • J. Bosa • E. Kumerow • S. Smith • L. Oliver • R. Webb • R. Hill • T. Vincent • M. Coleman • O. McDuffie • T. Bowens • B. Milner • D. Gardener • Y. Green • J. Avery • J. Fletcher • V. Carey • R. Brown • J. Allen • T. Ginn, Jr. • J. Long • V. Davis • J. Odrick • M. PounceyCategories:- 1958 births
- Living people
- Miami Dolphins players
- American football cornerbacks
- Alabama Crimson Tide football players
- People from Escambia County, Alabama
- Ed Block Courage Award recipients
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