
Stephen Neal
athleteInducted 2013
A San Diego native who is considered the greatest athlete to come out of Cal State Bakersfield. Was a dominant heavyweight wrestler for the Roadrunners from 1996-99, winning the NCAA national championship as a junior (44-0) and senior (39-0). Neal was 156-10 in his CSUB career (120-2 over his final three seasons) with four Pac-10 championships and was a four-time Division I All-American. He holds CSUB career records for most wins and most pins (71). Following his final CSUB competition, Neal was the 1999 U.S. Freestyle Champion, the Pan-American Freestyle Champion and the World Freestyle Champion. Those victories earned him the U.S. Olympic Committee and the FILA International Freestyle Wrestler of the Year honors. He then left wrestling and began an NFL career that lasted from 2001-10, mostly with the New England Patriots, even though he hadn't played football since high school. An offensive lineman, Neal helped the Patriots win Super Bowls in 2002, 2004 and 2005.