Aggies Ex-DB Leon O'Neal Suspended By Indoor Football League
Texas A&M defensive back Leon O'Neal was suspended indefinitely by the Indoor Football League after an incident that occurred on July 2.
O’Neal, a member of the Massachusetts Pirates, entered the stands to confront a fan against the Arizona Rattlers during the closing minutes of Sunday's game. During an onside kick, cameras caught O’Neal hurdling over the field barrier to confront a fan a few rows from the front.
Players from the Pirates joined in to defend O'Neal before a fight ensued in the stands that included punches being thrown. O'Neal, along with three other Pirate players, were immediately ejected from the game. On Monday, IFL commissioner Todd Tryon released a statement announcing that all four players were suspended indefinitely.
“Under zero circumstance can you ever go beyond the wall and into the stands,” Tryon said in a statement. “This is a one-time incident that does not reflect what the IFL stands for. We are a family-friendly league that offers great sports entertainment, and we will continue to build on that moving forward. What was a very exciting game was marred by the actions of a few. These actions will never be tolerated and are being fully dealt with.”
O'Neal posted on Twitter Wednesday that he was "done with football" following the incident, stating that he was called a racial slur after helmet-to-helmet contact on the field. O'Neal later deleted both tweets.
Undrafted in 2022, O'Neal signed as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers prior to the training camp. He was waived following a groin injury suffered during minicamp in June. O'Neal later would sign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League but was released.
A staple of A&M's secondary, O'Neal started three seasons for the Aggies, recording 161 tackles with 10 for loss and six interceptions. Many A&M faithful considered him a fan favorite for his hard-hitting persona and "Wake'Em Up" mantra.
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