Darrin Nelson

Darrin Nelson
No. 20
Position: Running Back/Kick Returner
Personal information
Date of birth: (1959-01-02) January 2, 1959
Place of birth: Sacramento, California
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight: 180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school: Downey (CA) Piux X
College: Stanford
NFL draft: 1982 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Rushes: 1,020
Rushing yards: 4,442
Rushing Avg.: 4.4
Receptions: 286
Receiving yards: 2,559
Total TDs: 23
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Darren Milo Nelson (born January 2, 1959) is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played for the majority of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Nelson grew up in Sacramento and Downey, California.

Professional career

Nelson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1st round (7th overall) in 1982 NFL Draft after graduating from Stanford University. He spent eight seasons with the Vikings; 1982–1989, before going to the San Diego Chargers. Nelson would spend the final nine games of the 1989 season and the entire 1990 season with the Chargers. Following his year and a half away from the Vikings, Nelson returned to the team in 1991 and stayed there for the final two years of his career, 1991–1992.[1]

Nelson was actually traded from the Vikings to the Cowboys as part of the infamous Herschel Walker Trade in 1989. However, after refusing to report to Dallas, he was subsequently traded to the San Diego Chargers for a fifth round draft choice.[2]

As a running back, Nelson was a threat as both a runner and as receiver out of the backfield, though he is perhaps best known for dropping the game-tying touchdown on 4th down in the closing moments of the 1987 NFC Championship Game. For his career, Nelson rushed for 4,442 yards, caught 286 passes for 2,559 yards and scored 23 touchdowns (18 rushing and 5 receiving) in 152 games. Nelson worked as a Senior Associate Athletic Director - External Relations/Development for his alma mater, Stanford University. He now works in a similar capacity at UC Irvine. He attended Pius X High School, Downey, California. Nelson was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.[3] Nelson was the first running back in college football history to rush for 1,000 yards and catch 50 passes in the same season; he accomplished this feat three times in his college career.[4]

Career stats

NCAA Collegiate Career Statistics
Stanford Cardinal
Season Rushing Receiving
Att Yards AVG TD Long Catches Yards YPC Avg. TDs
1977 183 1,069 5.8 3 0 50 524 10.6 3
1978 167 1,061 6.4 6 0 50 446 8.9 4
1979
Did Not Play - Injured
1980 161 889 5.5 4 40 47 552 11.7 4
1981 192 1,014 5.3 11 0 67 846 12.6 5
NCAA Career Totals 703 4,033 5.7 24 40 214 2,368 11.1 16
NFL Career Statistics
Minnesota Vikings
Season Rushing Receiving
Games Att Rush Yds AVG TD Long Catches Rcvg YDS YPC TD Long
1982 7 44 136 3.1 0 18 9 100 11.1 0 22
1983 15 154 642 4.2 1 56T 51 618 12.1 0 68
1984 15 80 406 5.1 3 39 27 162 6.0 0 17
1985 16 200 893 4.5 5 37 43 301 7.0 1 25T
1986 16 191 793 4.2 4 42 53 593 11.2 1 34
1987 10 131 642 4.9 2 72 26 129 5.0 3 13
1988 13 112 380 3.4 1 27 16 105 6.6 0 27
1989 5 31 124 4.0 0 0 24 52 7.4 0 7
San Diego Chargers
1989 9 36 197 5.5 0 28 31 328 10.6 0 49
1990 14 3 14 4.7 0 5 4 29 7.3 0 10
Minnesota Vikings
1991 16 28 210 7.5 2 29 19 142 7.5 0 13
1992 16 10 5 0.5 -- 9 -- -- -- -- --
NFL Career Totals 152 1,020 4,442 4.4 18 72 286 2,559 8.9 5 68

Life After Football

In 2011, Nelson became the Senior Associate Athletic Director for the University of California.[5]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NelsDa00.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1721261/
  3. ↑ National Football Foundation (2014-05-22). "NFF Proudly Announces Impressive 2014 College Football Hall of Fame Class". FootballFoundation.org. Retrieved 2014-05-22.
  4. ↑ http://www.gostanford.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208166821
  5. ↑ https://www.nflplayerengagement.com/next/articles/darrin-nelson-where-are-they-now/
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