Oklahoma State Legend Leslie O'Neal Inducted Into College Football Hall of Fame

In his third year on the ballot, Oklahoma State great Leslie O'Neal was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame

Oklahoma State

(Oklahoma State Athletics Media Relations contributed information to this article)\

STILLWATER – Former Oklahoma State great Leslie O’Neal has finally made it into the College Football Hall of Fame. The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that O’Neal was one of 17 players named to the 2020 class. This year marked the third consecutive year that O’Neal was included on the ballot.

O’Neal marks the six Oklahoma State player or coach in the College Football Hall of Fame joining coaches Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf and Jimmy Johnson, and players Bob Fenimore, Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas.

During his time at Oklahoma State, O’Neal earned All-American status twice and was a part of two of the best defenses in school history, a first-team selection in 1984 and a unanimous selection in 1985. During the 1984 and ’85 seasons, the Oklahoma State defense allowed just 34 touchdowns, the lowest the program has ever allowed. During that time, O’Neal was named Big Eight defensive player of the year in ’84, while earning All-Big Eight honors during his final three seasons in Stillwater.

During his famed 1984 season, O’Neal set a school record that still stands to this day by recorded 16.0 sacks for 118 yards. He’s also still the Oklahoma State career-sacks leader with 34.0.

Following his time at Oklahoma State, O’Neal was selected as a first-round draft pick by the San Diego Chargers in 1986. He spent 13 years in the NFL, nine with the Chargers, two with the Saint Louis Rams and two with the Kansas City Chiefs.

He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1986, was a six-time Pro Bowler, and a three-time second-team All-Pro. He’d finish his pro career with 767 total tackles, 211 of which were solo stops and 136.0 career sacks, a number that still ranks as one of the top 15 in the history of the NFL.

The 2020 Class was selected from the national ballot of 76 players and five coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision, the 101 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks and the NFF Veterans Committee candidates.

The 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8 at the New York Hilton Midtown. The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes during the fall. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration include:

1. First and foremost, a player must have received First Team All-America recognition by a selector recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams.

2. A player becomes eligible for consideration by the NFF’s Honors Court 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.

3. While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether or not the candidate earned a college degree.

4. Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years*. For example, to be eligible for the 2020 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1970 or thereafter. In addition, current professional players and/or coaches are not eligible until retirement.

5. A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years old. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.

6. Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach or sports information director (SID) of a potential candidate’s collegiate institution. Nominations may also be submitted by the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the National Football Foundation.

* Players that do not comply with the 50-year rule may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Divisional Veterans Committees, which examine unique cases.