Reggie McNeal
Encyclopedia
Reginald Parrish McNeal (born September 20, 1983 in Lufkin, Texas
Lufkin, Texas
Lufkin is a city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. Founded in 1882, the population was 35,067 in 2010. It is the county seat of Angelina County, and is situated in Deep East Texas.-History:...

) is a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

 in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....

 with the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...

. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

.

High school career

Named East Texas Player of the Year as a senior at Lufkin High School
Lufkin High School
Lufkin High School is a public secondary school located in Angelina County, Texas . It serves the Lufkin area as part of the Lufkin Independent School District. The current Lufkin High School was formed in 1970 by consolidation of Lufkin High School and Dunbar High School, the formerly...

, leading team to 15-1 record and Class 5A Division II state championship. Rushed for 159 yards and threw for 223 in state title game, and brought his team back from a 21-3 deficit despite injuring an ankle. Completed 134 of 307 passes for 2385 yards and 24 touchdowns for the season, while also rushing for 856 yards and 10 TDs. Also played defensive back in critical stages of games, once returning an INT for a TD to clinch a playoff victory, one of seven INTs as a senior. Also excelled in basketball, baseball, and track and field, earning all-district basketball honors as a junior. Was named the SuperPrep Offensive Player of the Year, and was the SuperPrep All-America #3 quarterback prospect in the country. He played in the 2002 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...

.

2002 season

Earned National Offensive Player of the Week honors after coming off the bench to throw an A&M freshman record 4 TDs and lead the Aggies to a 30-26 victory over then No. 1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...

 at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...

. This performance earned McNeal the starting job at quarterback the following week against the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...

, but he sprained his ankle and missed most of the rest of that season. For the year, McNeal completed 24-of-45 passes (53.3 percent) for 456 yards and 6 touchdowns, while rushing for 137 yards on 37 attempts.

2003 season

Became the Aggies' starting QB, starting in 11 games and playing in all 12. Completed 113-of-221 passes for 1,782 yards with 8 touchdown and 7 interceptions on the season. Connected on a career-best 91-yard touchdown pass to Jamaar Taylor
Jamaar Taylor
Henry Jamaar Taylor is a former American football wide receiver for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants selected Taylor in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. Jamaar was a promising prospect until he suffered a knee injury in college that...

, which ranked in a tie for the fourth-longest pass play in school history. Rushed for 370 net yards and 4 touchdowns on 127 attempts, with a long run of 33 yards. Passed for a career-best 259 yards on 11-of-18 passing against Kansas and totaled 330 yards (259 passing, 71 rushing). Threw a season-best 3 touchdown passes against Baylor.

2004 season

In his 2004 season, McNeal passed for 2,791 yards and 14 touchdowns on 200-of-344 attempts. He passed for more than 200 yards in 10 games, including a career-best 298 against the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...

. He rushed for 718 yards (breaking Bucky Richardson
Bucky Richardson
John "Bucky" Powell Richardson is a former quarterback for Texas A&M University who went on to play professionally for the NFL's Houston Oilers.-High School and College:...

's A&M QB record) and eight touchdowns on 151 rushes. Had two 100-yard rushing games, including a career-best 139 on 22 carries against the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...

. He set a school record for greatest offensive yards of a season with his 3,509 yards on 495 plays (7.1 per play gain).

McNeal was named semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...

 and first-team All-Big 12 quarterback by the Dallas Morning News. He was named National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Foundation and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for four touchdowns and 386 yards of total offense against Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...

. He was named the Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

 Offensive Player of the Game against Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...

 by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

-TV. He was also heralded as "the most complete dual-threat quarterback in the nation" by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

.

2005 season

Before the 2005 season, McNeal graced the cover of Dave Campbell's Texas Football
Dave Campbell's Texas Football
Dave Campbell's Texas Football is an annual publication, previewing football teams in the state of Texas.It is unique in that it is the only publication to preview every team in Texas , from the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, through every level of college football, to the roughly 1,400...

, a great honor within the state of Texas, alongside Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...

 of Texas. After his stellar junior campaign, Texas A&M entered the 2005 season with high hopes for both McNeal and the entire Aggie squad. Both failed to deliver, however, as A&M stumbled to a 5-6 record and did not qualify for a bowl game. McNeal played in 10 games, missing season finale against Texas because he was injured in the previous game against the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...

. For the season, he logged a career-high 16 TD passes (9 INTs), completing 141-of-265 passes (53.2%) for 1963 yards. He led NCAA Division I QBs in rushing average at 6.9 yards (96-for-664), pacing the Aggies with four 100-yard rushing games. He passed for 349 yards and five TDs against SMU
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...

 and also rushed six times for 100 yards, earning the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award, the Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...

 Player of the Week award and Cingular All-America Player of the Week award.

McNeal returned to action in January 2006 for the postseason East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...

 in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

, and led West team to 35-31 win with 9-of-11 passing for 211 yards and two TDs (no INTs). He also rushed four times for 32 yards.

Advocacy and criticism

Fans who defended McNeal's career point to his record-breaking junior year in which he led Texas A&M to a Cotton Bowl Classic appearance. They also cite the difficult environment at Texas A&M, as McNeal played under two philosophically different head coaches, three offensive coordinators, and several different position coaches. It has been speculated that the quality of Texas A&M's recruiting saw a sharp decline in R. C. Slocum
R. C. Slocum
Richard Copeland Slocum , better known as R. C. Slocum, was the head football coach at Texas A&M University from 1989 until 2002. He has won more games as coach than anyone else in Texas A&M football history.-Personal:...

's last years, and that the talent surrounding McNeal was sparse and underdeveloped. In addition, it is generally conceded that the offensive schemes run by coach Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...

 did not properly utilize McNeal's talent. Competition from Dustin Long
Dustin Long (American football)
Dustin Dakota Long is a former American football quarterback for Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University. He played briefly for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. Long is the son of Kim and Mike Long of Groves, Texas...

, another record-breaking QB who was very popular with Aggie players and fans alike, may have slowed McNeal's development.

Critics of his record typically cite A&M team performance. During McNeal's four-year career at Texas A&M, the Aggies were 0-4 against rival Texas, 0-2 against Virginia Tech, 0-2 against Nebraska, 1-3 against Texas Tech, 1-3 against Oklahoma (including a 77-0 loss in 2003), lost to Baylor for the first time in 20 seasons, and were invited to only one post-season bowl game where they were on the wrong end of a 38-7 drubbing by the Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the National Collegiate Athletic Association college sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Hamilton is the most recent Men's Athletic Director, but resigned on June 7, 2011, and Joan Cronan is the current Women's...

. McNeal was not considered a "vocal leader," and although he was voted by his teammates onto the Aggies Leadership Council as a senior, this came after two of his backups were voted onto the council in previous seasons, perhaps speaking to the players' perception of his leadership skills.

NFL draft

McNeal's inconsistent play in 2005, questions about his durability and his lack of NFL-style quarterback skills put his chances of being selected in the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...

 in jeopardy. However, after impressive NFL combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...

 results, where he ran a 4.4 40-yard dash, McNeal was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...

 as a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

 in the 6th round of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...

.

NFL

McNeal played in all four of the Bengals' preseason games, and recorded 3 catches for 46 yards and 1 TD, plus 2 rushes for 13 yards. Was waived September 2 and signed to the practice squad September 6. He was signed to 53-player roster on September 19, and was placed on the inactive list for Games 3-9. Made his NFL debut on November 19 in Game 10 at New Orleans and also played November 26 at Cleveland. McNeal was in uniform as designated third QB on inactive list for Games 5-7, due to an appendectomy that sidelined QB Anthony Wright
Anthony Wright (quarterback)
Anthony Lavron Wright is a retired American football quarterback. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1999...

. McNeal recorded his first (and only) offensive stat in the NFL against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....

 on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...

, December 18, when he lined up at quarterback and scrambled for eight yards on third down, giving the Bengals the first. The Bengals released McNeal on September 1, 2007.

CFL

On October 2, 2007, McNeal signed with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...

 of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....

 and was added to their practice roster. He was released by the team on October 16, 2007, only to re-sign with the Argonauts on March 20, 2008.

Though he was originally signed to be a backup quarterback, McNeal played in his very first CFL game on August 7, 2008 at Ivor Wynne Stadium
Ivor Wynne Stadium
Ivor Wynne Stadium is a Canadian football stadium located at the corner of Balsam and Beechwood Avenues, two blocks west of Gage Avenue North in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada...

 as an emergency wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

 due to the injuries suffered by the Argonauts' receiving corps. McNeal became the first quarterback to be started at receiver by the team since Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett is a former Canadian Football League quarterback and former quarterbacks coach at the University at Buffalo. He was previously the head coach of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders....

 back in the 1980s. In his debut, McNeal finished with a game-high of 101 receiving yards on 6 receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...

 in a 45-21 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...

. McNeal would finish the 2008 season with 43 receptions for 606 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2009, McNeal finished the season with 24 receptions for 309 yards and three touchdowns. On June 8, 2010, McNeal re-signed with the Argonauts. He recorded 13 catches for 175 yards and no touchdowns during the 2010 season.

On May 19, 2011 McNeal was traded to the Calgary Stampeders, along with defensive lineman Adrian Davis
Adrian Davis
Adrian Davis is a Canadian football defensive tackle for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2006 CFL Draft by the Montreal Alouettes...

, for wide receiver P.K. Sam and defensive lineman Miguel Robede
Miguel Robede
Miguel Robede is a Canadian football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted with the first overall pick in the 2005 CFL Draft by the Calgary Stampeders...

.

On July 28, 2011, Reggie McNeal was released was released by the Calgary Stampeders and signed with the Edmonton Eskimos.

On August 12, 2011, Reggie McNeal was released by the Edmonton Eskimos. McNeal only appeared in one game for the club.He currently remains unsigned.

Criminal charges

In the early morning of Sunday, December 3, 2006, McNeal was arrested and charged with resisting arrest at The Red Door, a nightclub in downtown Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

. McNeal allegedly pushed an off-duty Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....

 officer while trying to get into the club after it closed. Stemming from the same evening's events, McNeal also faced drug possession charges for having a cigarette which contained promethazine
Promethazine
Promethazine is a first-generation antihistamine of the phenothiazine family. The drug has anti-motion sickness, antiemetic, and anticholinergic effects, as well as a strong sedative effect and in some countries is prescribed for insomnia when benzodiazepines are contraindicated...

, a prescription antihistamine
Antihistamine
An H1 antagonist is a histamine antagonist of the H1 receptor that serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine, an endogenous chemical mediator released during allergic reactions...

 and also a popular street drug.

External links

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