Ex-NFL player Lorenzo Neal pleads no contest to drunken driving

Former NFL and Fresno State football player Lorenzo Neal pleaded no contest Monday to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge in connection with a Fourth of July crash last year in which his Ford pickup struck a pole north of Clovis.

In his plea, Neal stipulated that his blood-alcohol was .11. The legal limit to drive is a blood-alcohol of .08 or less.

Fresno County Superior Court Judge Gregory Fain immediately sentenced Neal to three years of probation and eight days in the adult offender work program. Neal also has to pay $1,861 in fines and court fees.

The California Highway Patrol said the crash happened about 4:20 p.m. July 4 in the 4400 block of Copper Avenue near North Minnewawa Avenue.

Neal was a fullback for several NFL teams. He is listed as chief information officer for a company called Safe Ride Solutions, which offers confidential rides for intoxicated drivers.

Neal’s biography on the company’s website includes a statement of his views on drinking and driving: “Through his years as a professional athlete, Lorenzo has experienced and seen many things off the field that are of great concern for his colleagues. Lorenzo feels drinking and driving is a major problem and affects people from all walks of life and all segments of society.”

By Pablo Lopez