| No. 51 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | October 6, 1954 Osceola, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Saginaw (Saginaw, Michigan) |
| College: | Michigan |
| NFL draft: | 1977: 6th round, 163rd pick |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Calvin O'Neal (born October 6, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in 1978. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, earning first-team All-American honors while serving as team co-captain in 1976.
O'Neal is a 1972 graduate of Saginaw High School, [1] where he won All-State and All-Saginaw Valley honors in football and was named Most Valuable Player of the Saginaw Valley Conference, after averaging 14 tackles per game. [2] He was also a standout in basketball and track and field at Saginaw High from 1969–71. [2] O'Neal was teammates with quarterback Tom Slade both at Saginaw High School and at the University of Michigan. [3]
He attended the University of Michigan on a football scholarship. He served as co-captain along with Rob Lytle and Kirk Lewis. [4] The 1976 team was ranked #1 for eight weeks, but lost two of its last four games including a Rose Bowl loss to the USC Trojans. However, the team had four All-Americans (O'Neal, Lytle, Jim Smith, and Mark Donahue) as well as nine All Big Ten Conference players. [4] O'Neal made ten tackles in his first game for the Wolverines, [2] was twice named an All-Big Ten linebacker and was a Consensus All-American and team co-captain in 1976. [5] He was a team leader on defense, setting a season record with 151 tackles in 1975, and had a record 378 tackles for his career. [5] O'Neal combined strength and speed from his inside linebacking spot, and had three interceptions in 1976 for 60 return yards and a touchdown. [5]
O'Neal was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the sixth round (163rd pick) of the 1977 NFL Draft. [6] He played in 15 games for the Colts in 1978. [1]
O'Neal lives in Shreveport, Louisiana. [7] He is the founder of Lifestyle Business Affairs, an enrichment program for high school and collegiate student-athletes. [8] O'Neal was inducted into the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. [2]