Top 50 Cal Pros: No. 39 - Deltha O'Neal, Dynamic NFL Playmaker

He had 34 interceptions and 3 TDs on defense and returned kicks for 2,600 yards and 3 more scores

Deltha O'Neal / Peter Brouillet-Imagn Images

We are counting down Cal’s top 50 athletes based on their careers as post-collegiate professionals. Their performance as Golden Bears is not factored into the rankings.

39. DELTHA O’NEAL 

Years at Cal: 1996 to 1999

Sport: Football

Pro teams: Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots

Age: 48

Hometown: Palo Alto, Calif. 

Why we ranked him here: Drafted No. 15 overall by the Denver Broncos in 2000, O’Neal was a reserve cornerback his rookie season but a dynamo as a return specialist, averaging 10.4 yards on 34 punt returns and 24.0 yards with a touchdown on 46 kickoff returns. A starter on defense by his second season in 2001, O’Neal continued to return punts throughout much of his career but was mostly not used on kickoffs. A 5-foot-11, 194-pounder boasting great speed, O’Neal intercepted nine passes his second season and earned his first Pro Bowl nod. He had just five picks in 2002 but two of them went for touchdowns. Ready for a new football home, O’Neal was traded to the Bengals after the 2003 campaign. He had his best season in 2004, setting a Cincinnati franchise record and sharing the NFL lead with 10 interceptions and recovering a fumble to land second-team All-Pro honors and secure his second Pro Bowl invite. In nine NFL seasons, O’Neal had 34 interceptions he returned for 452 yards and three TDs to go with 403 tackles. He compiled more than 2,600 yards on punt and kick returns with three more scores. 

Deltha O'Neal snares an interception for Cal / Photo courtesy of Cal Athletics

At Cal: Coming to Berkeley from Milpitas High School, O’Neal began his Cal career as a running back. He rushed for 590 yards and a touchdown and caught 24 passes for 267 yards and two TDs his first two seasons. Moved to cornerback his junior season of 1998, O’Neal found his place. A year later, he blossomed into a versatile star, earning consensus All-America honors. He intercepted a program-record nine passes, returning them for 280 yards an an NCAA-record four touchdowns. He also averaged 10.2 yards on punt returns and 29.2 on kickoff returns, scoring one TD in each of those categories. Yes, that gave him six touchdowns in 1999 without playing on offense. He was voted Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and awarded the Pop Warner Trophy as the best player on the West Coast. He was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

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