Clifton McNeil

{{Short description|American football player (born 1939)}}

{{BLP sources|date=June 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Use American English|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox gridiron football person

| name =

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1940|5|25}}

| birth_place = Mobile, Alabama, U.S.

| death_date =

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| team =

| number = 85, 18, 86

| status =

| position1 = Wide receiver

| height_ft =

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| college = Grambling State

| NFLDraftedYear = 1962

| NFLDraftedRound = 11

| NFLDraftedPick = 151

| NFLDraftedTeam =

| playing_years1 = 1964–1967

| playing_team1 = Cleveland Browns

| playing_years2 = 1968–1969

| playing_team2 = San Francisco 49ers

| playing_years3 = 1970–1971

| playing_team3 = New York Giants

| playing_years4 = 1971–1972

| playing_team4 = Washington Redskins

| playing_years5 = 1973

| playing_team5 = Houston Oilers

| career_highlights =

• NFL champion (1964)

| ProBowls = 1

| NFL = MCN415284

| DatabaseFootball = MCNEICLI01

}}

Clifton Anthony McNeil (born May 25, 1940), is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1973. He played college football for the Grambling State Tigers{{Cite book |last= |first= |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9zlc1lcRd44C&dq=Clifton+McNeil+grambling+state&pg=PA124 |title=Ebony |date=November 1966 |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |publication-date=November 1966 |pages=124 |language=en |chapter=Last Year for the Big Bonus Babies |type=Magazine}} was selected by the Cleveland Browns{{Cite book |last= |first= |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O94DAAAAMBAJ&dq=Clifton+McNeil+grambling+state&pg=PA57 |title=Ebony |date=October 1965 |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |pages=58–61 |language=en |chapter=Little Grambling Produces Pro Football Stars En Masse |type=Magazine}} in the eleventh round in the 1962 NFL draft. He played with the Browns for four seasons before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1968 for a draft pick. McNeil acquired a number of nicknames on the field, including Sticks, Spider, Road Runner and Night Train, for his slim build and speed.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V44TAQAAIAAJ&q=Clifton%20Anthony%20McNeil |title=Football Register |date=1969 |publisher=Sporting News. |pages=209 |language=en}}

With the 49ers in 1968, he led the NFL in receptions with 71, accounting for 994 yards and seven touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl. After a disappointing 1969 season he went to the New York Giants where he caught 50 passes for 764 yards and four touchdowns before finishing his career with the Washington Redskins and the Houston Oilers.