Dan Neil

Dan Neil is an automotive columnist for The Wall Street Journal and a former staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, AutoWeek and Car and Driver. He was a panelist on 2011's short-lived The Car Show with Adam Carolla on Speed Channel, which debuted July 13, 2011.

In 1999, Neil received the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive journalism, and in 2004 Neil won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, presented annually to a newspaper writer who has demonstrated 'distinguished criticism,' for his LA Times column Rumble Seat. In awarding Mr. Neil, the Pulitzer board noted his "one-of-a-kind reviews of automobiles, blending technical expertise with offbeat humor and astute cultural criticism." Noted journalist Brooke Gladstone called Neil "the Oscar Wilde of auto reviewers."

Background

Neil was born in Pennsylvania January 12, 1960 and moved with his family to New Bern, North Carolina at age 4. He received a B.A. degree in Creative Writing from East Carolina University and an M.A. degree in English Literature from North Carolina State University.

Dan Neil (American football)

Daniel Patrick Neil (born October 21, 1973) is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the University of Texas, and earned All-American honors. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft, and played for the Broncos during his entire pro football career. Neil was a candidate for the Texas House of Representatives in the 2010 general election.

Early years

Neil was born in Houston, Texas. He attended Cypress Creek High School in suburban Houston, where he played high school football for the Cypress Creek Cougars.

College career

He accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Texas at Austin, and played for the Texas Longhorns football team from 1993 to 1996. As a senior in 1996, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American.

Professional career

The Denver Broncos selected Neil in the third round (67th pick overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft, and he played for the Broncos from 1997 to 2004. After seeing limited playing time as a rookie in 1997, he became a reliable starter on the Broncos' offensive line, starting in 104 of 108 games over the next seven seasons. He played on the Broncos' NFL championship teams in Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII.