Shawn Nelson (American football)
Encyclopedia
Shawn Nelson is an American football
tight end
who is currently a free agent
. Nelson was selected by the Buffalo Bills
in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Southern Mississippi
.
Nelson has also been a member of the New York Jets
.
in Gonzales, Louisiana. He was the high school teammate of Kansas City Chiefs
defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey
.
, he ran a 4.56 forty-yard dash, bench pressed nineteen reps and posted a vertical jump of thirty three inches. Going into the 2009 NFL Draft
, Nelson was regarded as one of the top tight end prospects. He was drafted in the fourth round with the 21st pick (121st overall) by the Buffalo Bills.
on October 31, 2011. Nelson was waived by the team on November 22, 2011 due to a non-football related illness.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. Nelson was selected by the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Southern Mississippi
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles represent The University of Southern Mississippi in Division I athletics. The teams compete in Conference USA....
.
Nelson has also been a member of the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
High school
Nelson attended East Ascension High SchoolEast Ascension High School
East Ascension High School is a high school in Gonzales, Louisiana, United States. It is within the Ascension Parish School Board. It is commonly referred to as EA....
in Gonzales, Louisiana. He was the high school teammate of Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey
Glenn Dorsey
-Kansas City Chiefs:Dorsey was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs fifth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. On July 26, 2008, he signed a five-year, $51 million contract with $23 million guaranteed....
.
College
Nelson attended University of Southern Mississippi and finished his college career with 157 receptions totaling 2,054 yards and sixteen touchdowns.Awards and honors
- MVP of New Orleans BowlNew Orleans BowlThe New Orleans Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana since 2001. The game was sponsored by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from 2002 to 2004 and was officially called the Wyndham New...
(2005) - 2x First-team All-Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
(2006–2007) - Honorable mention All-Conference USA (2008)
Pre-draft
Nelson impressed many scouts with his solid college career and impressive scouting combine numbers. At the NFL CombineNFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, he ran a 4.56 forty-yard dash, bench pressed nineteen reps and posted a vertical jump of thirty three inches. Going into the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, Nelson was regarded as one of the top tight end prospects. He was drafted in the fourth round with the 21st pick (121st overall) by the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo Bills
In his debut game against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football, Shawn Nelson caught an 11 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Trent Edwards. The Bills went on to lose the game 24-25. Nelson was suspended without pay for the team’s first four games of the 2010 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Nelson’s suspension began on Saturday, Sept. 4 2010. He was eligible to return to the Bills’ active roster on October 4, 2010. Nelson was released by the Bills on September 3, 2011.New York Jets
Nelson was signed by the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 31, 2011. Nelson was waived by the team on November 22, 2011 due to a non-football related illness.