Steve Nelson (American football)

Last updated

Steve Nelson
Steve Nelson (18005928355) (cropped).jpg
Nelson in 2015
No. 57
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1951-04-26) April 26, 1951 (age 73)
Farmington, Minnesota, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school: Anoka (Anoka, Minnesota)
College: North Dakota State
NFL draft: 1974  / Round: 2 / Pick: 34
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
  • Curry (1998–2005)
    Head coach
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:19.5
Interceptions:17
Fumble recoveries:16
Player stats at PFR

Steven Lee Nelson (born April 26, 1951) is an American former professional football player and high school coach. He played as a linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1987. He served as the head coach at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts from 1998 to 2005, compiling a record of 64–22.

Contents

Nelson was a three-sport athlete at Anoka High School, in Anoka, Minnesota, earning letters in football, basketball and baseball. As a senior, Nelson was selected as captain, team MVP and to the all-state team in football. Nelson went on to college at North Dakota State University and graduated in 1974 after being named a two-time All-American, team captain and MVP in football. [1]

He was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 1974 NFL draft. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times in 1980, 1984, and 1985 and his #57 jersey was retired by the Patriots. He is credited with helping the Patriots reach Super Bowl XX versus the Chicago Bears.

Nelson played linebacker for the Patriots from 1974 to 1987 and became the nucleus of the Patriots defense. Nelson was voted to three Pro Bowls and recorded more than 100 tackles nine times during his career. He led the Patriots in tackles in eight of his 14 seasons, including an unofficial team record of 207 in 1984. He finished his career with 1,776 total tackles. After retirement, he coached for the Patriots and later built Curry College into a perennial power. In 1993, Nelson was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

More recently, Nelson has become a familiar football analyst on local television and radio. He currently works as a business development executive for Lighthouse Computer Services, Inc., a Lincoln, RI-based technology company. In September 2011, Nelson was named to the inaugural class of the Anoka High School Hall of Fame. [1] [2]

Head coaching record

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
Curry Colonels (New England Football Conference / Commonwealth Coast Football)(1998–2005)
1998 Curry6–44–23rd (Blue)
1999 Curry7–35–12nd (Blue)
2000 Curry6–43–3T–4th (Boyd)
2001 Curry9–24–12nd (Boyd)
2002 Curry7–33–2T–2nd (Boyd)
2003 Curry11–16–01st (Boyd)L NCAA Division III First Round
2004 Curry9–25–1T–1st (Boyd)L NCAA Division III First Round
2005 Curry9–36–01st (Boyd)L NCAA Division III First Round
Curry:64–2236–10
Total:64–22
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Anoka-Hennepin School Dist 11 - A-H Home". Archived from the original on October 8, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Anoka's Hall of Fame missing two big names: Keillor and Bachmann | StarTribune.com". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
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