Tom Nalen

Last updated

Tom Nalen
Tom Nalen.JPG
Nalen at a Broncos home game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013
MIT Engineers
Position:Assistant offensive line coach
Personal information
Born: (1971-05-13) May 13, 1971 (age 54)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:286 lb (130 kg)
Career information
High school: Foxborough (MA)
College: Boston College (1989–1993)
NFL draft: 1994: 7th round, 218th overall
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
  • MIT (2023–present)
    Assistant offensive line coach
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:194
Games started:188
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Thomas Andrew Nalen (born May 13, 1971) is an American college football coach and former professional football center who is the assistant offensive line coach for the MIT Engineers. He played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) for his entire professional career. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles and was selected by the Broncos in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL draft. He was born in Boston and grew up in Foxborough, Massachusetts southwest of Boston. [1]

Contents

College career

Nalen was a three-year starting offensive lineman for Boston College, earning numerous honors that included third-team Associated Press All-America, second-team All-Big East and first-team ECAC. [2] He redshirted in 1989, before serving as backup center and then starting center for the last three games in 1990. He started every game from 1991 to 1993. [3] Nalen closed out his college career with appearances in the East–West Shrine and Senior Bowl games. [2] In 1993, Nalen was an All-American honorable mention and All-Big East second-team pick by The Poor Man’s Guide to the NFL Draft. That year, Boston College ranked fourth in the nation in total offense (506.4 yards per game). Nalen's blocking was a key factor in the Eagles' 41–39 upset win over Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. In 2009, Nalen was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame. [2]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+7⁄8 in
(1.90 m)		280 lb
(127 kg)		33+1⁄8 in
(0.84 m)		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		5.02 s1.79 s2.96 s4.59 s28.0 in
(0.71 m)		8 ft 6 in
(2.59 m)		20 reps
All values from NFL Combine [4]

Nalen was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 218th overall pick in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL draft and played primarily at center. [5] He won two Super Bowls as a member of the Broncos and played in five Pro Bowls. [6] Six different running backs have had 1,000-yard rushing seasons behind Nalen and the Broncos' offensive line. [7]

On January 6, 2009, Nalen retired from professional football after spending his entire career playing for the Denver Broncos. He was the last remaining player from the Broncos' Super Bowl titles in the late 1990s. [8]

In 2013, Nalen was named to the Broncos Ring of Fame. [9] [2]

Coaching career

In the spring of 2023, Nalen began coaching the offensive line unit for the MIT football team. [3]

References

  1. ↑ "Tom Nalen - Football". Boston College Athletics. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Football Star Tom Nalen Inducted into Denver's Ring of Fame". Boston College Athletics. September 29, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Tom Nalen - Assistant Coach (Offensive Line) - Staff Directory". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Tom Nalen, Combine Results, C - Boston College". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  5. ↑ "1994 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Tom Nalen Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Broncos Draft History: Offensive Line". Denver Broncos. April 12, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  8. ↑ Williamson, Bill (January 6, 2009). "Sources: Broncos veteran Nalen will retire". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Tom Nalen: Paving His Way to the Ring of Fame". Denver Broncos. October 5, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
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