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| Carlton O'Neal (3) hauls in a Collin Rugg pass for a 39-yard TD against Santa Fe Christian in a CIF first-round 54-17 win November 14, 2014. (Photo by Ed Piper) |
Carlton O'Neal, an All-CIF receiver at La Jolla High during the halcyon years of 2013-2014, will remain at Occidental College and play football for the Tigers next fall.
This came from his father, who attended the La Jolla-University City game Nov. 3 to watch his younger son, Johnathan O'Neal, a standout defender.
Occidental, a highly-respected academic university in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, and an NCAA Division 3 school in athletics, cancelled Homecoming this season and the final three games of its 2017 season due to a dwindling number of players, because of injuries and a shrinking roster to begin with.
Oxy, where Buffalo Bills quarterback and politician Jack Kemp matriculated, and where President Obama attended as an undergraduate, had not had to cancel football games since the World War II era, according to the senior O'Neal.
"Carlton could have finished this year (after three years in college), but he will graduate at mid-year next year," said O'Neal's father in the waning minutes of La Jolla's 55-31 loss to University City for the City League title. Carlton is majoring in biology, and is interested in pursuing research in gene therapy for cancer following graduation, according to his father. At a later date, he may consider entering a Ph.D. program, he said.
Occidental has made its mark in the sports world, as well as academics. Besides Kemp, a quarterback who went on to play and star in the NFL, Sammy Lee, a diver, was a two-time gold medal winner in the Olympics in the 1940's.
Among other politicians, besides Obama and Kemp, Robert Finch served as Lieutenant Governor in California.
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