University of California Athletics

A consensus first-team All-American in 1999 as a cornerback and return specialist, Deltha O’Neal was named the 1999 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and recipient of the 1999 Pop Warner Trophy as the top senior on the West Coast. Cal’s all-time leader with 4,998 all-purpose yards, he intercepted a school-record nine passes as a senior and established the Cal career mark for interception return yards with 356. He also holds Cal records for career punt-return yards (1,169), punt returns in a season (42, 1999), career kickoff returns (99), career kickoff return yards (2,472), kickoff return yards in a game (186 vs. Navy in the 1996 Aloha Bowl), career kickoff return TDs (2), and season (61) and career (209) combined kickoff and punt returns. His career kickoff return average of 24.9 ypr is second all-time behind Isaac Curtis. O’Neal finished with 11 career interceptions, returning five for TDs, and he led Cal in scoring as a senior with 36 points, all on defensive or special teams scores. He was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos (15th overall), also playing with Cincinnati and New England during a nine-year NFL career. Twice selected to the Pro Bowl, he tied for the NFL lead with 10 interceptions in 2005 while with the Bengals.