Jackie ONeal is a native of and attended Reeltown High School. ONeal was a star performed on the football field during his high school playing days. He made the honorable mention All-State team his junior and senior seasons as a running back at Reeltown.

ONeal played in the Alabama All-Star Game in Tuscaloosa following his senior season. He graduated from Reeltown in 1972 and from Livingston State University in 1976.

He left Livingston as the fourth leading rusher in school history with 1,873 yards from 1973-75.

A devastating blocker in the Tigers wishbone attack, ONeal also scored 18 touchdowns in his career and still owns the record for the longest touchdown reception, 94 yards against Southeastern Louisiana in 1974. He helped guide the team to a third place finish in the nation in 1975.

Following graduation from college, he was an assistant coach at Reeltown for ten seasons prior to taking over as head coach in 1988. Over the next 27 seasons his teams won consistently and made the playoffs in all but three seasons.

Reeltown reached the 1991 and 1992 state championship games but came up short in search of their coachs first title. The Rebels reached the title game again in 2000 before winning Coach ONeals first state championship in 2001 by defeating Notasulga 46-6. Reeltown would win another title in 2009 with a 16-8 win over Clay County.

ONeals overall record is 241-110 with a region record of 104-32 which ranks among the best in state history. His teams have won fourteen area and region titles during his tenure.

ONeal was honored as coach of the year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association in 1991, 1992 and 2001 and the Alabama Football Coaches Association in 2008. He was head coach of the Alabama team in the 2007 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game and has served on the AHSAAs Central Board of Control, Legislative Council and Football Committee.

Coach ONeal was inducted into the West Alabama University (Livingston) Hall of Fame 2007. The fans of Reeltown named the stadium in his honor in 2010. He was inducted into the Alabama High School Athletic Associations Hall of Fame in 2012.