Neely burst onto the scene as a freshman in 1969, setting the school record in the high jump at 6-foot-8. He later went on to break his own record as a senior in 1972, adding an inch to that school standard. It took several years before his record was narrowly clipped at 6-foot-10.

Neely represented Morehead State at various track and field meets and at the 1969 NCAA Championships and the United States Track and Field Federation Championships.

Despite a coaching change after his freshman season and no full-time coaching leader, Neely went on to be named All-Ohio Valley Conference three times in his career.

Neely earned his Bachelor's Degree (with distinction) in Business Administration in 1972. He was awarded the Wall Street Journal Award for the outstanding senior in his degree program as a senior.
 
Following his time at Morehead State, Neely progressed through the trucking industry and eventually retired in 2017 after a seven-year stint as President of Gateway Distribution, a trucking and distribution company with more than 100 employees and based in Cincinnati, Ohio.