Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

He's probably the least known member of the 100 sack club along with Greg Townsend. He actually has as many sacks as Lawrence Taylor.

Guy had 8 double-digit sack seasons, #10 overall on the all-time list.

I remember he was really good for the Bobby Ross-era Chargers (17 sacks in the 1992 worst-to-first year, 12.5 sacks in the SB year)

What do you remember about this forgotten sack artist?

CSKreager wrote:
What do you remember about this forgotten sack artist?

Great technician, used hands and body control very well, had all the moves. Knee injury slowed him, but recovered. But was also not beloved by his coaches. The term "locke room lawyer" was applied to him. No idea if it was deserved or not, just know it was applied to him more than once.

JohnTurney wrote:

CSKreager wrote:
What do you remember about this forgotten sack artist?

Great technician, used hands and body control very well, had all the moves. Knee injury slowed him, but recovered. But was also not beloved by his coaches. The term "locke room lawyer" was applied to him. No idea if it was deserved or not, just know it was applied to him more than once.

I remember that he and Junior Seau were the best players on the Super Bowl team.

He was part of the greatest early Madden game LB corps alongside Gary Plummer, Billy Ray Smith, and Junior Seau. Add Marion Butts and Rod Bernstine on offense, and you have a pretty unstoppable team.

Was featured in Hungriest Men of the 90's Vol 1.

CSKreager wrote: What do you remember about this forgotten sack artist?

The play I most remember from him was in his rookie year at Arrowhead Stadium. O'Neal intercepted a Todd Blackledge pass and returned it 5 yards for a TD. The thing that impressed me was the height O'Nel jumped,, it's a play I still remember (it was a wild game, Kansas City won 42-41).

Also it's interesting that his last year in the NFL (with the Chiefs) was the year the Rams won the Super Bowl. O'Neal played for the Rams in 1996 and 1997.

JohnTurney wrote:

CSKreager wrote:
What do you remember about this forgotten sack artist?

Great technician, used hands and body control very well, had all the moves. Knee injury slowed him, but recovered. But was also not beloved by his coaches. The term "locke room lawyer" was applied to him. No idea if it was deserved or not, just know it was applied to him more than once.

In his 1978 Scout's Guide section on the Colts, the late Joel Buschsbaum called Raymond Chester a "clubhouse lawyer." Chester was traded back to the Raiders before the season began. I recall Chester saying he was happy to go back to Oakland.

O'Neal was an excellent pro that seemed to perform in obscurity, at least to the "casual fans."

To me, as a college football fan enthusiast, he was one of the best defensive linemen in college history. As an undersized DT, weighing anywhere from 230-250 during his career, he made plays all over the field. He had about 400 career tackles, and averaged double digit sacks, many tackles for loss, and had over 100 tackles his last two years in 1984 and 1985 as a two-year consensus All-American defensive tackle. Leslie was constantly double teamed and just made plays all over the field.

In my opinion, he belongs in the College Football Hall of Fame, without question. But, yes, you could argue him in Canton as well.

I think he was underrated on his run defense. So many times they would try and run wide to his side. He so often would force the ball carrier deeper into the backfield than desired. The corner or the linebacker get the tackle for loss stat, but it was Leslie that made the play. He should at least be in the conversation when it comes to great defensive ends.

SoCal Fan wrote:The corner or the linebacker get the tackle for loss stat, but it was Leslie that made the play.

This. Another example where stats don't tell the story. Similar to what many coaches have said regarding sacks (as a stat) - the player(s) responsible for creating/the team getting the sack aren't always the ones who actually get the sack. One of many reasons - and definitely not the only one - coaches, GM's and even defensive players say sacks (as a stat) are overrated and/or are the most overrated stat in football.

Say that knowing that for most, the basis of O'Neal's career is the high total number of sacks he has. He was more than that, disservice to the player to boil his play down to nothing more than a largely irrelevant number in one statistical category.