Safety O’neal makes case for sticking to plan
COLLEGE STATION — Long after the last grass blades had settled on Texas A&M’S final home game, Leon O’neal lingered.
The senior safety slapped hands with the first row of fans at Kyle Field and sought out youngsters to give his gloves and wristbands.
“I didn’t want to leave,” O’neal said. “I wanted to say thank you to all the fans. … Aggies, man, they do so much for us. I love them with all my heart and I wanted to make sure they knew I love ’em.”
They know, especially after O’neal, his voice cracking with emotion, offered an impassioned appreciation for his four seasons at A&M following the Aggies’ 52-3 victory over Prairie View A&M last Saturday at Kyle.
“I appreciate you turning this young kid who had a lot of aspirations and ambition into a man,” said O’neal, a senior from Cypress Springs High in Greater Houston. “Even if (NFL) football doesn’t work out, I’m going to be a successful young man because of you guys. Y’all helped me grow and helped me cope with life.
“This organization changed my life and I’m forever grateful.”
His message was quite different less than two years ago, when O’neal couldn’t seem to get out of College Station fast enough. The NCAA has made it easier than ever for players to transfer if they consider the grass greener in other stadiums, but O’neal’s ultimate story makes a case for an unhappy athlete to stick it out at his original choice.
In late February of 2020 and following his sophomore season, O’neal posted to social media that he intended to transfer. A few days later, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said when asked about O’neal’s declaration, “He’s still in school here (and) with us right now. We’ll handle that internally.”
Before social media, few outside of O’neal’s inner circle would have known of his intention to transfer and his brief unhappiness would have never made headlines. En route to exploring his options, O’neal opted to tough it out at A&M. He’s glad he did.
“Keep faith,” O’neal said of the biggest lesson he learned while playing for the Aggies. “There was a time I almost quit on myself. I didn’t really see it for what it was at (the time) — I was blaming everybody else for my problems. But when you take accountability, when you look in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, I’m the reason this thing is not working,’ that’s when you build a culture.”
Despite playing his final home game, O’neal still has two contests remaining as an Aggie: at LSU on Saturday night in the regular-season finale and a bowl game over the holidays. No. 16 A&M (8-3, 4-3 SEC) is out of contention in the SEC West and playing for the best possible bowl at this point.
The Aggies lost by 10 points each to Arkansas and Mississippi and by four to Mississippi State. O’neal’s senior highlight will no doubt be a fumble recovery and tying for the team lead in tackles with nine in A&M’S 41-38 upset of then-no. 1 Alabama on Oct. 9 at Kyle.
“Life is like boxing, you take some hits and you get knocked down, but at the end of the day you still have to get up and keep fighting,” O’neal said. “… We have a lot to fight for right now, like a 10-win season.”
The Aggies are trying to reach double digits in victories for the first time under Fisher and for the first time since 2012, their first year in the SEC.
O’neal is fifth on the defense with 53 tackles and tied with cornerback Jaylon Jones, a former Steele star, for the team lead in interceptions with two. Fellow defensive back Antonio Johnson said O’neal has served as a mentor to A&M’S younger players, in encouraging them to stick with the plan when times are tough.
“Leon has grown on and off the field,” Johnson said. “Not just as a ballplayer, but as a man.”
O’neal originally committed to play for then-a&m coach Kevin Sumlin and then backed off that pledge when Sumlin was fired and Fisher was hired following the 2017 regular season. O’neal eventually rejoined the class in time for signing day in February 2018, and Fisher is thankful he did.
“Growth is optional,” Fisher said. “It’s a choice, how you want to grow. Leon bought in and made the choice that he wanted to change and be a part of something bigger than him … and it’s been really fun to watch him grow into being a man.”