Neal played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL draft.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro, he was also a member of the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tennessee Titans, the Cincinnati Bengals, the San Diego Chargers, the Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders.
Neal originally signed with Arizona in February 1989, but didn't qualify academically and was denied admission.
[3] Neal finished his career as the school's second-leading rusher with 2,405 yards and played in the Japan Bowl All-Star Game.
[5] Neal, as a halfback made his NFL debut on September 5, against the Houston Oilers and led the team in rushing with 13 carries for 89 yards, it was his first of two starts as a rookie.
Just seven days later, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury during a road game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Neal fielded the kick of the "Music City Miracle" against the Buffalo Bills, where he handed it off to Frank Wycheck, who then threw the game-winning lateral to Kevin Dyson.
On March 3, 2003, Neal signed with the San Diego Chargers and began the longest stint with one team of his career, five seasons.
Neal scored his first touchdown of the season on a three-yard run on the road against the Oakland Raiders on September 28.
He also carried the ball three times for seven yards in short-yardage situations against the Baltimore Ravens on September 21, all three of which resulted in first downs.
He was also named Chargers Alumni Player of Week after rushing four times for a season-high 16 yards on the road against the Browns on December 19.
In 2006, Neal helped Tomlinson and Michael Turner record 194 rushing yards for the September 11 season opening 27–0 win in Oakland.
Neal helped block for a 241-rushing yard performance against the Titans in a 40–7 Week 2 win, which included two Tomlinson rushing touchdowns.
On October 15, during a road game against the San Francisco 49ers, Neal helped Tomlinson tie a team record and set a career-high with four rushing touchdowns.
He scored his first touchdown of the season against the Denver Broncos on December 10, on a four-yard trick play run called the "Bumarooski" late in the first quarter.
He was named to his third Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro selection by the Associated Press, USA Today, Sports Weekly and ESPN.com.
Against the Chiefs, he helped Tomlinson surpass 1,000 yards, marking the 11th-straight season as the lead blocker for a 1,000-yard rusher.
During Week 5, on the road against the Indianapolis Colts he subbed for McClain and helped protect rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, allowing him to set career-highs with a 73.7% completion and 241 passing yards.
During Week 8 in Cleveland, Neal subbed for McClain and helped the Ravens rush for a season high 193 yards in the 37–27 victory.
Rushing Statistics[9] Neal and wife Denisha have one son, Lorenzo Jr., and twin daughters, Nylya and Mia.