Former Gators, Pro Bowl DB Keanu Neal Retires

The former Florida Gators safety spent eight years in the league, most notably with the Atlanta Falcons.

Oct 31, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Keanu Neal (42) tackles Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Terry Godwin (5) during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

After spending eight seasons in the NFL, former Florida Gators safety Keanu Neal on Sunday announced his retirement from football in a statement released via Instagram. Neal, who spent three seasons with UF, last played in the 2023 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"God has blessed my family and I in so many ways. Particularly in the game of football. 20 years ago, I started this journey. Today, I am retiring from the NFL. God's timing is always the right timing.

"Wanna give a big thank you to the Atlanta Falcons for drafting and giving me a chance to make an impact. To the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Bucs and Pittsburgh Steelers.. Thank you for allowing me to continue my career with you. All top notch organizations. I am incredibly grateful for the coaches and teammates I had the privilege of working with along the way. Sumter County, South Sumter High, Wolfpack, University of Florida, my family and friends.. THANK YOU! All the lessons learned through the game has helped mold me into who I am today."

Spending three seasons with the Gators, Neal is best known for his play in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, where he introduced himself as a heavy hitter and sure tackler. As a sophomore, he recorded 45 tackles, three interceptions (second-most on the team) and had a fumble returned for a touchdown against Alabama.

In that game against the Crimson Tide, he went viral for a big tackle on future Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry.

Keanu Neal MET Derrick Henry in the hole 💥 pic.twitter.com/15pjdSpMfn

— Florida Gators 🐊🔥 (@gatorsszn) May 3, 2024

As a junior in 2015, Neal led the team with 51 solo tackles and finished third with 96 total stops while leading Florida's defense to an SEC Eastern Division title, the program's first since 2009.

The Atlanta Falcons selected the former Gator with the 17th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and Neal made an immediate impact as a rookie. He had 105 total tackles, nine passes defended and five forced fumbles during the franchise's run to a Super Bowl appearance. Neal was named PFWA All-Rookie Team as a result of his play.

In 2017, Neal was named to his first and only Pro Bowl after a 116-tackle, six-pass deflection and three-forced fumble season.

However, injuries consistently held Neal back from reaching his full potential. Neal suffered a torn ACL in the season-opener for the 2018 season and a torn Achilles tendon in Week Three of the 2019 season. He returned in 2020, posting another 100-tackle season, but that would be his last with the Falcons.

He spent the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons with one-year stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers where he carved a role as a backup and rotational safety who made the occasional start due to injuries ahead of him.

Late in what would be his final season, the Steelers placed Neal on the injured reserve before releasing him after a failed physical the following March. He would remain unsigned for the 2024 season.

In eight seasons, Neal recorded 523 total tackles (361 solo), 22 pass deflections, four interceptions and eight forced fumbles.