Defense
Field Position
| G | Total | Solo | AST | SCK | SFTY | PDEF | INT | TDS | YDS | AVG | LNG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opp 19-1 - by Yard Line | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Opp 49-20 - by Yard Line | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Own 21-50 - by Yard Line | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Biography
CAREER TRANSACTIONS:
- Selected by the Colts in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.
2024 SEASON (COLTS):
- In 2024, he started 17 games. In Week 2 at GB, he started at left guard for a line that paved the way for Jonathan Taylor to rush for 103 yards. In Week 3 vs. CHI, he anchored a line at left guard that led the way for Taylor to accumulate 110 yards on the ground, and eclipse the 100-yard threshold in consecutive games. In Weeks 6 and 7, he started at left guard for a line that didn't allow any sacks. In Week 10 vs. BUF, he was a part of a line that blocked for Taylor to rush for over 100 yards in the first half alone. In Week 12 vs. DET, he started for a line that didn't allow a sack for the third time this season. In Week 13 at NE, he was a part of a line that didn't allow a sack for the second consecutive week. In Week 16 vs. TEN, he started at center for a line that paved the way for 335 team rushing yards, a single-game franchise record. He also blocked for Taylor to register 218 yards on the ground, the third-most individual single-game rushing yards in team history. In Week 18 vs. JAX, he started at left guard and helped pave the way for Taylor to tally a single-game career-high 34 carries for 177 yards and one touchdown. It marked his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game.
2023 SEASON (COLTS):
- In 2023, he started all 17 games at left guard. In Week 2 at HOU, he started at left guard and was part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack. In Week 3 at BAL, he started at left guard for a line that paved the way for Moss to rush for 122 yards. In Week 5 vs. TEN, he started at left guard for a line that led the way for Zack Moss to rush for 165 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 10 at NE, he started at left guard for a line that didn't allow a sack. In Week 18 vs. HOU, he started at left guard for a line that paved the way for the offense to rush for 227 yards, including Jonathan Taylor rushing for a single-game single-season high 188 yards.
2022 SEASON (COLTS):
- Was named to the Pro Bowl after he started all 17 games in 2022 and helped Jonathan Taylor rush for 161 yards in Week 1 at HOU. In Week 6 vs. JAX, he was part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack in 58 pass attempts, which marked the most pass attempts in franchise history without allowing a sack. In Week 10 at LV he was part of an offensive line that paved the way for the Colts to rush for 207 yards.
2021 SEASON (COLTS):
- In 2021, he was named a Second Team Associated Press All-Pro and to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl after he started 13 games and helped Jonathan Taylor rush for 100 yards in seven games. He helped block for Taylor, who led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
2020 SEASON (COLTS):
- Earned Associated Press First Team All-Pro and PFWA All-NFL Team honors after he started all 16 games in 2020 and helped the offensive line allow zero sacks in four different games. He was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl. In Week 6 vs. CIN, he helped block for Philip Rivers, who threw for a season-best 371 yards. In Week 14 at LV, he helped the offense allow zero sacks and the offense rush for 212 yards. In Week 17 vs. JAX, he helped pave the way for Jonathan Taylor who rushed for a franchise-record 253 yards. Started one postseason game and helped the offensive line allow no sacks.
2019 SEASON (COLTS):
- Started all 16 games at left guard in 2019 and helped Marlon Mack become the first Colts' 1,000-yard single-season rusher since 2016. In Week 1, he helped Mack rush for a career-high 174 yards. In Week 11 vs. JAX, he helped the Colts rush for 264 yards, which was the most for the Colts since 11/21/04 against CHI (275). In 2019, was named First Team All-Pro by both the Associated Press and Sporting News for the second consecutive season. Nelson became the first player in franchise history to be selected Associated Press First Team All-Pro in his first two seasons. He also became the first offensive lineman and the seventh player since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger to be named Associated Press First Team All-Pro in his first two seasons, joining Devin Hester, Barry Sanders, Keith Jackson, Eric Dickerson, Lawrence Taylor and Earl Campbell.
- He was also selected to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season. Nelson became just the fifth player in team history to earn Pro Bowl honors in his first two seasons, joining Andrew Luck, Edgerrin James, Marshall Faulk and Alan Ameche. He also became the first offensive lineman in the NFL to do it in his first two seasons since Zack Martin and was the first Colts player to be selected to back-to-back Pro Bowls since T.Y. Hilton following the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
- Named to the 2019 PFWA All-NFL and All-AFC teams.
2018 SEASON (COLTS):
- Started all 16 games in 2018 at left guard. Was part of an offensive line that ranked first in the NFL for the fewest sacks allowed. He was one of five rookies to start Week 1 vs. CIN for the Colts. Also helped protect Andrew Luck during a 464-yard, four touchdown performance in Week 4 vs. HOU. In Weeks 7 and 8, he started both games and helped the Colts rush for over 200 yards in back-to-back games, which was the first time in the same season since 1985. Was part of an offensive line that didn't allow a sack in five straight games, which tied the New York Giants (2010) and Tennessee Titans (2008) for the third-longest streak since 1982. He was named to his first Pro Bowl and was the first rookie Colts offensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl since 1983 when Chris Hinton did it. Started two postseason games and helped the Colts rush for a postseason franchise-record 200 yards during the AFC Wild Card weekend.
- Nelson was named AP First-Team All-Pro. Nelson and Darius Leonard joined Alan Ameche (1955), Milt Davis (1957) and Edgerrin James (1999) as the only Colts rookies to be selected AP First Team All-Pro. Leonard and Nelson became the first rookie tandem to be named AP First Team All-Pro since Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers (Chicago) did it in 1965.
- Nelson was named to the Sporting News All-Pro Team as well as the PFWA All-NFL, All-AFC and All-Rookie Teams.
COLLEGE:
- Started 36-of-37 career games at Notre Dame at left guard.
- As a senior in 2017, named a unanimous All-America selection.
- Earned Second Team All-America honors from The Associated Press and Sports Illustrated in 2016.
- Surrendered just 3.0 sacks, none in the last two years, and four quarterback hits, two in the last two years, in 2,474 career snaps.
- As a team captain in 2017, started all 13 games at left guard and helped win the program's first Citrus Bowl appearance by defeating LSU, 21-17.
- Became the 34th unanimous All-American in Notre Dame history, the first Irish offensive lineman to earn such an honor since tackle Aaron Taylor in 1993 and Notre Dame's sixth-ever unanimous All-American offensive lineman.
- Named First Team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, The Walter Camp Football Foundation, The Associated Press and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).
- Was one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, an award given to the nation's top interior lineman.
- Named Notre Dame's 2017 Monogram Club Most Valuable Player after spearheading an offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award as college football's most outstanding offensive line.
- Surrendered zero sacks, one quarterback hit and three quarterback hurries in 883 offensive snaps.
- Started all 12 games at left guard in 2016 and was named Notre Dame Offensive Lineman of the Year.
- Was part of an offensive line that paved the way for 417.6 total yards per game.
- Started 11-of-12 games at left guard in 2015 on an offensive line which was a finalist for the inaugural Joe Moore Award.
- Assisted the Irish to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl vs. Ohio State.
- Part of an offensive line that helped the Irish average 5.63 rushing yards per carry (eighth-best in the FBS) – a modern (post WWII) school record.
- The Irish ranked 27th nationally in total offense, averaging 466.4 yards per game, its third-best mark since setting a school record in 1970 by averaging 510.5 yards per game.
- Spent his 2014 freshman season on the scout team and did not see the field.
PERSONAL:
- Attended Red Bank Catholic (N.J.) High School and garnered Second Team All-America honors from USA Today and MaxPreps in 2013. Also named an Honorable Mention All-America selection by Parade Prep.
- Named to USA Today American Family Insurance All-USA New Jersey team for 2013.
- Selected to MSG Varsity all-New Jersey squad.
- Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio.
- In 2013, his team finished 9-1 and averaged 279.0 rushing yards and 43.5 points per game.
- Registered 61 tackles and 3.0 sacks on defense.
- Named to MaxPreps Junior All-America 2012 second team.
- Helped Red Bank earn a New Jersey state title in 2012 after registering 42 tackles and 7.0 sacks en route to earning Second-Team All-State honors from the Newark Star-Ledger.
- Also assisted with an offense that averaged 38 points and 341.0 yards per game on offense in 2012.
- Participated in the NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative and represented Weish4Ever (2023), the American Cancer Society (2022), The V Foundation (2021) and The Andrew Weishar Foundation (2018-19).
- In 2020, he participated in many Colts community initiatives, including three mobile pantry distributions and attending a Marion County Juvenile Detention Center activation event.
- Volunteered at numerous community events with the Colts in 2019, including the Colts Youth Football Camp, Uniform Blitz, annual Playground Build, Team Smile, a visit to Simon Cancer Center and Caroling at Riley Hospital for Children.
- A native of Red Bank, N.J.