Leslie O’Neal Inducted into 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class

Former Oklahoma State star Leslie O’Neal became the sixth former Cowboy to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday. O’Neal is one of 17 players named to the 2020 class.

He joins Coach Lynn “Pappy” Walford (1966), Bob Fenimore (1972), Barry Sanders (2003), Thurman Thomas (2008) and coach Jimmy Johnson (2012) among former Oklahoma State figures already inducted into the hall, with 2020 ending a three-year run during which he was put on the ballot but not inducted.

O’Neal was a two-time All-American at OSU who is widely viewed as the program’s best edge rusher. He earned Big Eight defensive player of the year honors in 1984 and set a school record of 16 sacks in that same season. His 34 career sacks still stand as OSU’s career record, and his 16-sack season in 1984 remains untouched (though Emmanuel Ogbah’s 12.5 sack season in 2015 was somewhat close).

?Congratulations to Leslie O’Neal – #okstate's sixth member of the @cfbhall!?

?https://t.co/Sjmd5FOELK#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/GtvTEaHPNF

— Cowboy Football ??? (@CowboyFB) March 11, 2020

After OSU, O’Neal was drafted in the first round by the San Diego Chargers in 1986. He enjoyed a successful NFL career during which he earned Pro Bowl honors six times, racking up 136 career sacks. He retired in 1999.

Among those who were named to the 2020 class on Wednesday joining O’Neal: Eric Crouch (Nebraska), Eric Dickerson (SMU), Keith Byars (Ohio State), Glenn Dorsey (LSU), David Pollack (Georgia), Anthony Poindexter (Virginia) and others. The class of inductees will be honored on Dec. 8 during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York.