After joining Arkansas State in 2001 as a walk-on, O'Neal was diagnosed with chylothorax and subsequently had part of his lung removed.
Before the 2003 season, O'Neal earned a scholarship and was later granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.
His story was told in 2006 by CBS SportsLine when he was chosen as "National Walk-On of the Year".
He worked his way up the roster both on offense and special teams and played 14 games in 2007, recording one rushing attempt for one yard.
O'Neal suffered a knee injury, which was initially thought to be possibly career-threatening, and was placed on injured reserve for the 2008 season on August 25.