The New England Patiots have announced that offensive guard Stephen Neal has retired from professional football.

Neal was a 1999 World champion in freestyle wrestling for the United States, and a 1999 Pan American Games champion. He was also a U.S. Nationals champion and a runner-up at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. In college, he was a two-time NCAA Division I national champion and four-time All-American for Cal-State Bakersfield, winning titles in 1998 and 1999. He won the 1999 Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s top collegiate wrestler. Neal also finished second at the 1997 NCAA Division I Championships and fourth at the 1996 NCAA Division I Championships.

Neal did not play football in college.

He has remained active in wrestling, helping lead the effort to raise funds to save the wrestling program at his alma-mater Cal-State Bakersfield last year. He served as honorary captain at the Big Ten vs. Big 12 dual meet at the 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships. He also helped coach Cal-State Bakersfield wrestlers during the off-season from football.

Stephen Neal announces retirement
New England Patriots press release

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - New England Patriots guard Stephen Neal announced his retirement today, closing his 10-year career as a member of the Patriots offensive line.

Neal was a championship wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield and did not play football in college. During his college career he wrestled against and defeated former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and also earned the Dan Hodge Award, known as the Heisman Trophy of collegiate wrestling.

Neal signed with the Patriots as a rookie free agent in 2001. After being released by the Patriots following training camp, he spent time on the Philadelphia practice squad before returning to the Patriots when he signed to New England's active roster in December of 2001.

He earned his first career start in his second NFL game on Oct. 13, 2002 vs. Green Bay, but sustained a season-ending injury in that game. After missing the 2003 season, Neal returned in 2004 to wrestle away a starting position at right guard, a position he held for 92 games over the next seven years. During that time, Neal was a part of an offensive line that helped the Patriots finish among the top ten in total offense six times: 2004 (7), 2005 (7), 2007 (1), 2008 (5), 2009 (3) and 2010 (8).

Neal started 17 of 19 games in 2004, including all three playoff games, and celebrated his third Super Bowl Championship in four years with a 24-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. That year, the Patriots offensive line paved the way for Corey Dillon, who set the Patriots' single-season rushing record with 1,635 yards. In 2007, he helped power an offense that set all-time NFL records with 589 points and 75 touchdowns and contributed to the first 16-0 regular season since the league expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978. Once again, the Patriots won the AFC East Division Championship and Neal started all three playoff games, including his second Super Bowl in four years.

Neal started 81 of the 86 career regular-season games in which he appeared. He also started in each of the 12 postseason games in which he played with the Patriots. Last season, Neal started the first eight games of the season before being placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.