AUBURN, Ala. – Former Auburn offensive lineman Marcus McNeill has been selected as the Tigers’ 2024 SEC Football Legend, the Southeastern Conference announced Tuesday.
A two-time All-American offensive tackle from 2002-05, McNeill earned All-America honors in 2004 and 2005, becoming the program’s first player since Ed King to earn the prestigious honors in consecutive years.
In 2004, he helped pave the way for one of the best offenses in program history while winning the SEC Championship with an undefeated season. That season, McNeill became the first Tiger offensive lineman to receive All-America honors since 1997 and was a consensus All-American as a senior in 2005.
McNeill was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2004 and 2005 and earned the Jacobs Trophy as the SEC’s top blocker following his senior campaign when he was also a finalist for the Outland Trophy.
A native of Decatur, Georgia, McNeill was a four-year starter and did not allow a sack in 43 consecutive games. Following his college career, McNeill was named to Auburn’s Team of the Decade for the 2000s.
McNeill was selected in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. In his rookie season, McNeill finished fourth in voting for the 2006 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowl. McNeill’s NFL career spanned six seasons with the Chargers and was cut short by injuries which forced him to retire in 2012.
A towering figure at 6-foot-9, McNeill credits Auburn with helping prepare him for success during and after his NFL career.
"I got my wings," he said in 2017. "Going to Auburn and being able to join up with the War Eagle family was a perfect fit for me. I represent that everywhere I go in life and every time I see my family out there in the streets, I always give them a 'War Eagle' or a high five. We keep it pushing to make sure we're running the world.”
McNeill returned to his alma mater in 2017 as an honorary captain.
"It was a rush going down that Tiger Walk," he said at the time. "You see the stadium in the distance, and you see nothing but your crowd and your home team waiting to greet you. All the high fives, all the little kids, and the people in wheelchairs. You get to see them, shake their hands and see that excitement on their faces. It's like nothing in the world that you can explain."
After Tiger Walk, the former All-SEC and All-America offensive lineman delivered a pregame pep talk.
"I told them make sure that they grasp the moment and stay in the moment,” McNeill said. “A lot of times people get lost, trying to play the whole season at once. You've got to play it one game at a time and one play at a time.”
McNeill, who did not allow a sack in his final 43 Auburn games, received a loud ovation when he was introduced before the Tigers defeated Georgia Southern in the 2017 home opener.
"It was exciting," he said. "I could feel the energy in the building.”
The 2024 Football Legends class includes 16 former stars who excelled on the gridiron and helped write the rich history of the sport at their respective institutions, and is the first to include representatives from new members Oklahoma and Texas.
This year’s class includes All-Americans, All-SEC selections, Academic All-Americans and NFL standouts and first round draft picks. The group represents teams that won SEC Championships, claimed Super Bowl titles and are represented in state, school and college football halls of fame.
McNeill and his fellow legends will be honored at the 2024 SEC Football “Weekend of Champions” Dec. 6-7 in Atlanta, Georgia, highlighted by the annual SEC Legends Celebration presented by T-Mobile on Friday, Dec. 6 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
The group will also be recognized prior to the SEC Football Championship Game Dec. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.