Matt Nelson (American football)

Matt Nelson (born December 19, 1995) is an American football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa.

Matt Nelson
No. 67 – Detroit Lions
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1995-12-19) December 19, 1995
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.
Height:6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:315 lb (143 kg)
Career information
High school:Xavier
(Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
College:Iowa
Undrafted:2019
Career history
Roster status:Injured reserve
Career NFL statistics as of Week 1, 2023
Games played:41
Games started:12
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

High school career

Nelson attended high school at Cedar Rapids Xavier. He was a three-year letterman in basketball and two-year letterman in football, playing tight end and defensive end. Nelson held Division I basketball offers, including from Rice, and several FBS offers, including from Stanford, Iowa, Notre Dame, Arkansas, and Wisconsin.[1] Xavier reached the state 4-A final back-to-back, with Nelson earning All-State honors. He committed to Iowa in June 2013.[2]

College career

Nelson was a defensive lineman for the Iowa Hawkeyes for five seasons, redshirting as a true freshman. Playing both defensive end and defensive tackle, Nelson finished his collegiate career with 111 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, nine sacks, nine pass break-ups, and one forced fumble.[3] Nelson was a four-time academic all-Big Ten, and earned honorable mention all-Big Ten honors his senior season.

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 7 in
(2.01 m)		 296 lb
(134 kg)		 34+7⁄8 in
(0.89 m)		 9+3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		5.15 s1.81 s2.95 s4.61 s7.45 s30.5 in
(0.77 m)		9 ft 3 in
(2.82 m)		15 reps
All values from Pro Day[4]

After going undrafted in 2019, Nelson was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent with the intention of moving him to the offensive line.[5] He was waived during final roster cuts, but was re-signed to the Lions practice squad and spent the rest of the season there as he adjusted to the offensive line. Nelson made the team out of training camp in 2020. Nelson made his NFL debut in the season opener on September 13, 2020, against the Chicago Bears.[6]

Nelson was given an exclusive-rights free agent tender by the Lions on March 4, 2021.[7] He signed the one-year contract on April 19.[8]

On March 14, 2023, the Detroit Lions re-signed Nelson.[9] He was placed on injured reserve on September 28 with an ankle injury.

References
  1. "Hawkeye football recruit also had choice of Division I basketball". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  2. "Matt Nelson". University of Iowa Athletics. April 10, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  3. "Gustafson, Nelson Named Iowa's Big Ten Medal of Honor Winners". Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  4. "2019 NFL Draft Scout Matt Nelson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  5. Birkett, Dave (May 10, 2019). "Meet Detroit Lions' class of undrafted rookie free agents". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  6. Raven, Benjamin (September 14, 2020). "Snap counts: Lions roll with 3 safeties for most of Week 1 loss with Duron Harmon leading the way". MLive.com. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  7. "Lions tender three exclusive rights free agents". DetroitLions.com. March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  8. "2021 NFL Transactions: Signings – April". NFL.com. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  9. "Lions re-sign T Matt Nelson". DetroitLions.com. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
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