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By Ryan Finley
February 1, 2008
Patriots guard Stephen Neal probably never thought he would play in the Super Bowl.
That is because Neal never played college football.
Neal was a standout wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield who signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2001; three years later, he made New England's starting lineup. Neal, a 6-foot-4-inch, 305-pound guard, has started 51 games since 2004.
"It's not really a path I could choose," Neal said. "Luckily for me, I got an opportunity, and the Patriots' organization let me go down this path for quite a while without seeing any upsides. I was very fortunate to be kept around."
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Neal "deserves everything he's gotten."
"Nobody worked harder or is tougher or gives more of himself than Steve Neal."
