| No. -- Free Agent | |
| Cornerback | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: January 30, 1977 | |
| Place of birth: Palo Alto, California | |
| Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | Weight: 194 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: California | |
| NFL Draft: 2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15 | |
| Debuted in 2000 for the Denver Broncos | |
| Career history | |
As player:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NFL statistics as of week 17, 2008 | |
| Tackles | 386 |
| INTs | 34 |
| Pass deflections | 65 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Deltha Lee O'Neal, III (born January 30, 1977 in Palo Alto, California) is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round as the 15th pick overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, after playing college football at California.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, O'Neal has also been a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Houston Texans.
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Early years
O'Neal is a 1995 graduate of Milpitas High School in Milpitas, California, where he was a running back, cornerback, and kick returner.
College career
He graduated from California in 2000 with a degree in social welfare. In his senior year with the Golden Bears, O'Neal set the NCAA single-season record of four interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Professional career
Denver Broncos
Originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft, O'Neal was not particularly effective on defense, though he made contributions on special teams.
Due to O'Neal's speed, former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan briefly flirted with converting O'Neal to wide receiver in mid-2003. O'Neal had two receptions, for four yards, in two games. O'Neal was also used frequently to return punts and kickoffs on special teams. While with the Broncos, O'Neal tied the record for most interceptions in a game with four.
Cincinnati Bengals
In April, 2004, an unhappy O'Neal and the Broncos' 24th (first round) and 117th (fourth round) spots in the 2004 NFL draft were traded to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for Cincinnati's 17th spot in the first round.
In the 2005 season, O'Neal recorded ten interceptions, breaking the franchise record of nine, set by Ken Riley in 1976 and equalling Ty Law as the NFL's interception leader that year. He broke the record on December 18, 2005, against the Detroit Lions.
In early December 2006, O'Neal was arrested on DWI charges.[1] In the 2007 season, O'Neal recorded 52 tackles and one interception.
O'Neal was released by the Bengals on August 30, 2008.
New England Patriots
On September 1, 2008, O'Neal was signed by the New England Patriots and he played the 2008 season with them.
Houston Texans
O'Neal signed with the Houston Texans on August 6, 2009 following an injury to cornerback Jacques Reeves. The team waived defensive tackle Jake Visser to make room for O'Neal on the roster. He was released on September 5, 2009.
References
External links
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