Undersized and largely overlooked, Neal blossomed on the gridiron at Howard Payne University, where he earned All-America honors and was later inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame. He spent five seasons in pro football but found his niche in powerlifting. In 1993, while a member of the Houston Oilers practice squad, he was honored as the NFL’s “Strongest Man.”

In 1998 and 1999, Neal won consecutive World Powerlifting Championships. Then, in 2000, he established Team Impact Ministries, an evangelical organization providing inspirational speakers to churches and schools around the country and internationally.