A lot has changed for Kerry McCoy and Stephen Neal since the summer of 2000. Both have become exceptional athletes and excelled, but the paths each one took to get there have become as different as their backgrounds.    It was June of 2000 in Dallas, Texas. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials, possibly the greatest U.S. amateur wrestling event ever held, had produced twists and turns.    Terry Brands came out of retirement to earn a spot on the Freestyle Olympic Team, something he had waited to do four years later than he expected. Brandon Slay shocked the U.S. by earning a spot on the Freestyle Team as well, only to shock the world a couple of months later with Olympic gold. And who can forget the Lindland-Sieracki saga?    But in all of the uncertainty, one thing was certain to be a sure bet. Stephen Neal would represent the U.S. Freestyle Team at super heavyweight in the Olympic Games.    Neal was a World Champion in 1999, and with him on the roster, the U.S. was looking at bringing home more medals than any other nation.    But along came, certainly not out of nowhere, Kerry McCoy. The former NCAA champion at Penn State Univ. was no stranger to international competition. He competed at the 1998 World Championships and placed fourth. He had captured gold at the 1999 and 2000 World Cups. More importantly, he defeated Neal at the U.S. National Championships earlier that year.    McCoy was bigger, by nearly 30 pounds, stronger, faster and quicker than ever before. He wasted no time in taking over Neal's reign as the top U.S. super heavyweight in freestyle with convincing 4-1 and 6-4 wins in the 2000 Olympic Team Trials. Just a couple of months later, he placed fifth at the Olympic Games.    One year later, in Cincinnati, Ohio, McCoy won two of three matches to show his dominance over Neal in earning a spot on the 2001 U.S. Freestyle World Team.    That day in Cincinnati would mark a fork in the road for these two competitors. Each chose a different path.    McCoy went on to place fourth in the 2001 World Championships. He was also a member of the 2002 U.S. Freestyle World Team this year before USA Wrestling decided not to go due to a threat of violence that was posed to the team.    McCoy is considered by many as a serious threat to win World and Olympic gold soon. Age is not a factor for the 28-year old monster who now coaches at Lehigh Univ. He has dominated his weight class ever since he can remember, winning a Junior World Championship in 1992, two NCAA titles and much more. Now, he plans to dominate the Senior level as well.    Although McCoy was unable to compete at this year's World Championships, he will get the opportunity to test his progress against 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2001 World silver medalist Artur Taimazov of Uzbekistan at the first annual Kurt Angle Classic.    The event promises to raise amateur wrestling to a new level as far as national media coverage. A win by McCoy, a New York native, could and probably should bring him more fame and fan appeal.     Neal, on the other hand, has gone on to fame in another arena - the National Football League.    Shortly after losing at the 2001 World Team Trials, Neal signed a free-agent contract with the New England Patriots. After a brief stint in training camp with the Patriots, the Philadelphia Eagles signed him to their practice squad. Later in the year, Neal signed a two-year contract with the Patriots.    This was monumental, especially since Neal hadn't played organized football since high school.    Neal quickly bulked up from his wrestling weight of 286 lbs. to nearly 310 lbs.    Last year, as a member of the Patriots, Neal earned a Super Bowl ring, putting him at the top of the NFL along with his teammates. Last Sunday, Neal received another reward for his hard work, a starting assignment at right guard against the Green Bay Packers.    Neal, who pinned Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams in a match at San Diego High School in Calif., has now proven that he can lead a successful career in another sport, a la Carlton Haselrig and Lorenzo Neal, who both had great success in the NFL after successful wrestling careers as well. Haselrig, a former NFL All-Pro, held an unbeaten streak of 120 matches while wrestling at the Univ. of Pitt-Johnstown while Neal, who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, was an NCAA All-American at Fresno State Univ.    Stephen Neal's quickness and balance on the wrestling mat have translated into great blocking skills for the NFL's defending champions.    What a difference 16 months has made for Kerry McCoy and Stephen Neal. While McCoy still yearns to reach the pinnacle of his sport, Neal has done it in two sports. Yet, even as Neal solidifies himself in the confines of the NFL, he is still connected with McCoy, who in 2004 may have a chance to win the one thing Neal was unable to - an Olympic gold medal.