Former Oklahoma State defensive end Leslie O’Neal is one of 76 players included on the ballot for 2020 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. It is the third consecutive year that O’Neal has been included on the ballot.

A two-time All-America honoree, O’Neal anchored the two best defenses in school history in 1984 and 1985. 

 He was on teams which allowed just a total of 34 touchdowns over two seasons, the lowest totals ever at OSU. He was named Big Eight defensive player of the year in 1984 and earned All-Big Eight honors in each of his last three seasons as a Cowboy.

O’Neal set a school record by registering 16.0 sacks for 118 yards lost in 1984. He also remains the OSU career leader with 34.0 sacks.

He was a first-round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in 1986.

O’Neal retired following the 1999 season. During his career, the defensive end was selected to the Pro Bowl six times, while recording 136.0 career sacks. His career sack totals still rank among the top 15 players in the history of the NFL.

He was a unanimous All-American in 1985.

Oklahoma State has five representatives in the College Football Hall of Fame – coach Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf (inducted in 1966), Bob Fenimore (inducted in 1972), Barry Sanders (inducted in 2003), Thurman Thomas (inducted in 2008) and coach Jimmy Johnson (inducted in 2012).

The announcement of the 2020 Class will be made in January 2020 in the days leading up to the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship in New Orleans. 

 The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration includes:

Of the 5.33 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on November 6, 1869, only 1,010 players have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, or less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02 percent) of those who have played the game during the past 150 years.

From the college football coaching ranks, 219 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction.