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Who do you guys think is the best Cal football player in the last 10 years?</p>
<p>My vote: Geoff MacArthur
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<p>Actually, since you set a 10-year threshold, I'm going to go with Deltha O'Neal, (literally) running away. Consider this. In 1999, he was Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and consensus first-team All-American. In that year, he had 9 INT's and returned 4 of them for TD's, setting the NCAA single-season record for most INT's returned for TD, which I think is still a record that still stands today. He tied the NCAA career record for most INT's returned for TD with 5. He left Cal holding the school record for career all-purpose yards. He is a member of Cal's All-Century team, one of only a handful of Cal players of the last 10 years to do so. {Then of course, in the NFL, he's already been awarded 2 Pro Bowl selections, and in 2005 set the Cincinnati Bengals franchise record for most INT's in a season with 10.} </p>
<p>You could also make a case for Marshawn Lynch (Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and 1st team All-American, and 2nd all-time Cal rusher, despite having only been a starter for 2 seasons). You could also talk about punter Nick Harris, who set the NCAA record for career punting yardage. But I still think O'Neal's accomplishments at Cal, particularly his glittering senior year, still outclasses Lynch's and Harris's accomplishments, impressive as they were. </p>
<p>Now, if we were talking about Cal Bears who made the most impact in the NFL in the last 10 years, I think that answer is undoubtedly Tony Gonzalez, whose accomplishments already easily qualify him for the NFL Hall of Fame (selection to 8 Pro Bowls, holds the record for most career TD's by a tight end).</p>