COSTA MESA, Calif. -- One is a first-timer, while the other is gaining steam as someone who deserves to be part of this elite group.
Former San Diego Chargers defensive lineman Leslie O’Neal and legendary NFL coach Don Coryell were two of 27 named as semifinalists Tuesday for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is a first for O'Neal, a talented edge rusher, while Coryell was selected for a 10th time.
The list will be trimmed further in January, and inductees will be named in February ahead of the Super Bowl.
O’Neal, 53, played his first eight seasons with the Chargers before moving on to play two years for the St. Louis Rams and his final two seasons with the Chiefs. He played during a time of great pass-rushers, including Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Chris Doleman, Kevin Greene and Lawrence Taylor.
O’Neal finished as the Chargers’ all-time leader in sacks with 105.5 and was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 2014.
An All-American at Oklahoma State, O’Neal was selected eighth overall in the 1986 draft by the Chargers. He earned defensive rookie of the year honors after finishing with 12.5 sacks, including a team-record five against the Cowboys on Nov. 16.
However, O’Neal’s rookie season ended early because of a serious knee injury the forced him to miss almost two seasons. He worked his way back to the field on Oct. 16, 1988, and returned to his dominating self the following season, starting all 16 games and earning his first of six Pro Bowl selections with another 12.5-sack season.
O'Neal finished his career in San Diego in 1995 with 105.5 career sacks, 595 tackles and 18 forced fumbles. He was the Chargers’ single-season sacks leader every year from 1990 to '95. Among the highlights of his career, O’Neal points to holding up the AFC championship trophy and reaching the Super Bowl at the culmination of the 1994 season, and notching his 100th sack against NFL legend Joe Montana.
Coryell was one of the developers of the pass-catching tight end, spawned the three-digit playcalling system that some NFL teams still use and originated the one-back offense. His offense was dubbed "Air Coryell," and he designed the “passing tree” of receiving routes now used at all levels of football.
Coryell’s offenses led the league in passing yardage six straight seasons from 1978 to ‘83 while he was with the Chargers, and again in 1985. They produced three Hall of Famers in receiver Charlie Joiner, tight end Kellen Winslow and quarterback Dan Fouts.
Coryell was 72-60 as coach of the Chargers. He led San Diego to the team’s first two AFC title games in 1980 and ‘81 but failed to advance to the Super Bowl.
Coryell was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 2010 was named one of the 50 greatest Chargers of all-time. Coryell died in 2010 at the age of 85.