I was so glad to see that OL Stephen Neal was able to retire from the game after 10 seasons. It is a fitting conclusion to a career that few could imagine.
He never played college football, but was a two-time NCAA wrestling championship at Cal State- Bakersfield. He won the Don Hodge Award, the wrestling equivalent of the Heisman.
He was truly a "project" in his first three years after being signed as a free agent in 2001. He was cut and re-signed several times and also had a stint on Injured Reserve. After becoming a starter on the 2004 Super Bowl team, he remained a solid part of the offensive line until now.
In recent years, injuries have chipped away at him. He missed the last five games of the 2010 season with a shoulder injury.
He had spoken after the last three season about retirement. At least he didn't get released by the team in training camp or suffer a career ending injury.
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