Steve Nelson (football)
Encyclopedia
Steven Lee Nelson is a former professional American football
linebacker
who played for the New England Patriots
from 1974 to 1987.
Nelson was a three sport athlete at Anoka High School
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 then went on to college at North Dakota State University
and graduated from NDSU in 1974 after being named a two time All-American, team captain and MVP in football.
He was selected by the Patriots in the 2nd round of the 1974 NFL Draft
and missed only three games during his 14-year NFL career in which he was named team MVP twice. 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
.
After his football retirement, Nelson was the athletic director and head coach at Curry College
from 1998-2006 (football coach through 2005 season). 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.
Nelson and his wife Angela reside in Middleboro, MA and he is the father of five daughters; Cameron, Casey, Caitlin, Kelli and Grace.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who played for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
from 1974 to 1987.
Nelson was a three sport athlete at Anoka High School
Anoka High School
Anoka High School is a four year public high school located in Anoka, Minnesota on 3939 7th Avenue N.-School overview:Anoka High School is part of Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 and is one of five regular high schools in the district...
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 then went on to college at North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
and graduated from NDSU in 1974 after being named a two time All-American, team captain and MVP in football.
He was selected by the Patriots in the 2nd round of the 1974 NFL Draft
1974 NFL Draft
The 1974 National Football League Draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City on January 29–30, 1974. Each of the 26 NFL teams was granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks....
and missed only three games during his 14-year NFL career in which he was named team MVP twice. He was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
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
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
versus the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
After his football retirement, Nelson was the athletic director and head coach at Curry College
Curry College
Curry College is a private liberal arts-based institution in Milton, Massachusetts that started as the School of Elocution in 1879.-History:...
from 1998-2006 (football coach through 2005 season). 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.
Nelson and his wife Angela reside in Middleboro, MA and he is the father of five daughters; Cameron, Casey, Caitlin, Kelli and Grace.