[2][3] Neal attended Washington & Jefferson College, where he played in the 1922 Rose Bowl,[1] before transferring to Wabash College where he served as the football team captain.
In 1922, he played for the Akron Pros, where he saw action in ten games, including six starts.
[5] In 1930, Neal was hired as the head football coach at DePauw University.
He coached the 1933 team to an undefeated, untied, and unscored upon season.
[6] In 1946, he resigned as coach to become DePauw's athletic director and Department of Physical Education chairman.