Former Arizona Wildcats football player DaVonte’ Neal pleads guilty to murder
Sep 3, 2024, 3:40 PM
Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Davonte' Neal #19 runs upfield during the first half of the Pac-12 college football game between the USC Trojans and the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. The USC Trojans beat the Arizona Wildcats 28-26. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DaVonte’ Neal, a former Arizona Wildcats football player, pleaded guilty to the murder of 25-year-old Bryan Burns on Wednesday.
According to Maricopa County Superior Court records, Neal pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder. The former Wildcats wide receiver/cornerback had worked as an assistant coach at Idaho State University before he was charged with first-degree murder in 2022.
Burns was fatally shot in November 2017 after his car was side-swiped near Interstate 10 and Elliot Road in Tempe. Neal was arrested in Pocatello, Idaho, where he was employed at Idaho State University as an assistant coach on its football team, according to the Idaho State Journal.
Neal’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 4.
Based on the terms of his plea agreement, Neal could serve 20-25 years in prison. He is held without bond until his sentencing.
DaVonte’ Neal’s football career at Arizona
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Neal was a standout at Scottsdale’s Chaparral High School. He was ranked No. 57 by 247Sports among all 2012 football recruits and committed to Notre Dame.
After one season, he transferred to Arizona.
Neal played wideout in 2014, his first season with the Wildcats, catching 12 passes for 133 yards. He switched to defensive back for his remaining two years, racking up 84 tackles and two interceptions across that time.
He went on to spend time in the Canadian Football League before joining the coaching ranks locally at Mesa’s Dobson High School and Gilbert’s Higley High School, per the East Valley Tribune.
