He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, earning first-team All-American honors while serving as team co-captain in 1976.
[2] O'Neal was teammates with quarterback Tom Slade both at Saginaw High School and at the University of Michigan.
[4] The 1976 team was ranked #1 for eight weeks, but lost two of its last four games including a Rose Bowl loss to the USC Trojans.
However, the team had four All-Americans (O'Neal, Lytle, Jim Smith, and Mark Donahue) as well as nine All Big Ten Conference players.
[5] O'Neal combined strength and speed from his inside linebacking spot, and had three interceptions in 1976 for 60 return yards and a touchdown.