In his senior year he was team captain, MVP, a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award and a finalist for the Outland Trophy.
After seeing limited playing time as a rookie in 1997, he became a reliable starter on the Broncos' offensive line, starting in 104 of 108 games over the next seven seasons.
No penalty was called on the play, but NFL director of football operations Gene Washington said Neil clipped the New England linebacker "from behind and below the knee.
A select investigating committee found that although Howard had actually won by only four votes, Neil had not met the burden of proof required to overturn the election.
Prior to pursuing political aspirations, Neil co-hosted The Morning Rush with Erin Hogan on the Austin area ESPN Radio affiliate 104.9 The Horn.
Neil's son David played varsity football at Westlake High School in West Lake Hills, Texas, from 2015 into the 2018–2019 season.