Edward Nelson
Defensive Back / Morehouse College
Alex Khvatov: What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
Edward Nelson: 6’0, 201 and I ran in the low 4.5’s unofficially.
Alex Khvatov: You actually had the chance to perform at the Pro day before everything got shutdown. Tell us about your results.
Edward Nelson: I had the chance to perform at Mercer University. It was on March 9th before everything got shutdown. It was a good experience. I put my best foot forward. I tried to get the times from teams, but everything got shut down. Nobody is in the office. I hit 14 reps on the bench, but I don’t any other official results from the pro day.
Alex Khvatov: Where were you training for the NFL Draft?
Edward Nelson: In Atlanta with Jamari Gordon. My positional coach recommended him. He is an HBCU guy. He went to Kentucky State.
Alex Khvatov: Describe your overall experience at the College Gridiron Showcase.
Edward Nelson: I was at a small school showcase. There were about 80 of us. I am from PA, and it was my first time being in Texas. It was very competitive. There were a lot of DB’s there. We had a scrimmage. We had seven on seven and one on one’s. I was grateful for the opportunity. I spoke to a couple of scouts. I spoke to the scout from the Colts. I filled out a questionnaire. I also talked to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. They invited me to a tryout in Atlanta, which will no longer take place.
Alex Khvatov: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?
Edward Nelson: I had every school from the PSAC conference. I was supposed to go to Bloomsburg. I received a Bill Gates millennium scholarship. I wrote an essay. Bill Gates gave me a full academic scholarship. I decommitted from Bloomsburg. I had a principal in high school who told me about Morehouse. He went to Alcorn State.
Alex Khvatov: Why did you choose Morehouse College?
Edward Nelson: Morehouse is the cradle for African American excellence. I was a preferred walk on. I went from the preferred walk on to team captain on the football team.
Alex Khvatov: What was it like to receive the Bill Gates millennium scholarship?
Edward Nelson: 100,000 people apply every year, and only a 1,000 people win. Miss Jean Arnold was my writing coach. I heard about it and wrote my essay. It was surreal when I won. The schools in Chester, PA aren’t that good. It was an honor lifting that financial burden off my parents. I didn’t want to put my parents in a hole. I was grateful. It was the best feeling in the world.
Alex Khvatov: How honored were you to be named team captain your senior year?
Edward Nelson: It was definitely a big honor. I was a unanimous team captain. My teammates voted me captain. They believed that I could lead us in the right direction.
Alex Khvatov: What are your strengths?
Edward Nelson: Attitude and tenacity. I am a sure tackler. I don’t miss tackles. I have that leadership ability. I play with a high motor. I will make every play that comes to me.
Alex Khvatov: What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?
Edward Nelson: As a DB, you can never stop working on your hips. My lateral movement got better in college, but I could never stop getting better.
Alex Khvatov: Tell us about your overall career.
Edward Nelson: It was a real uphill battle. Coming from the North and going to the South, I had to prove myself. I had to adjust to the speed of the game and learn the playbook. During my sophomore year, I became a starter. Junior year, I led the conference in sacks and TFL’s. I was top five in tackles. I was the team MVP. We went 7-3 my junior year. We got off to a 6-0 start and we beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Tuskegee. I was named preseason all-conference my senior year. As a team, we lost a few key players and went 4-6. Individually, I didn’t have a drop off in the amount of TFL’s and tackles. But I took a step back in sacks. As a junior, I was a straight up OLB. During my senior, I was an OLB and safety. I played wherever the team needed me.
Alex Khvatov: What is the highlight of your career up to this point?
Edward Nelson: When we played Tuskegee on ESPN. We beat them in 3OT. It is the oldest football classic in CFB. We beat them the first time in 9 or 10 years.
Alex Khvatov: What is your favorite NFL team?
Edward Nelson: I rooted for the Giants when I was younger. They had Tiki Barber and Plaxico Burress. I root for the Eagles more than anyone right now. I became an Eagles fan when Mike Vick joined them. I lived 10 minutes away from the stadium. I am from Chester, PA. My family are big Eagles fans. I liked watching them win the Super Bowl.
Alex Khvatov: Who is your favorite NFL player?
Edward Nelson: I am a football fan. My all-time favorite players are Ed Reed and Brian Dawkins. I am always watching their highlights.
Alex Khvatov: What is the most important trait for a DB?
Edward Nelson: Football IQ. 90% of the time, the DB is going backwards. You have to be smart out there. You have to cover someone backwards who is running a 4.2 forty. You also have to have confidence. You have to be confident in your own head.
Alex Khvatov: Before the ball is snapped, what are the tendencies that you are looking for from the offense?
Edward Nelson: I am reading the man on the line of scrimmage. I am looking at how hard he is pressing, then we are getting a run block. Reading the QB’s eyes and how the RB is flinching or which way he is leaning. We always want to get that extra edge.
Alex Khvatov: What players on your team should we keep an eye on for next season?
Edward Nelson: Two RB’s Frank Bailey and Santo Dunn. Starting QB Mike Simms. On defense, we had a LB Kevin Powers that transferred from Arkansas State. He is coming off an injury. He is a key guy.
Alex Khvatov: Who was the best player that you have faced on an opposing team?
Edward Nelson: I can’t name a specific player. The most complete team was Tuskegee. They always had the QB, four different RB’s and WR’s that can get a big play. Our rivalry is the oldest clash in college football history. They would always bring their best game against us.
Alex Khvatov: What do you enjoy most about football?
Edward Nelson: Football served as an outlet for me growing up at Chester, PA. We dealt with things that most kids don’t have to deal with it. I saw my friends getting killed. I saw my parents stress about how they will pay the bills. All of that stuff disappears on the field. Football is only thing on my mind at the time. The friendships and the brotherhood. The common bond that brings people together.
Alex Khvatov: What is your definition of a leader?
Edward Nelson: A leader has to have empathy and needs to understand people. He leads by example. Sometimes people in a leadership position fail. They try to delegate too much.
Alex Khvatov: What are your hobbies?
Edward Nelson: Away from the field, I am a nerd. I like to read a lot. My favorite books are autobiographies and African American history books. I am an African American major. I try to be well read on everything. I try to know a little of bit of everything. I am a people’s person. I like reading about other people’s culture.
Alex Khvatov: What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?
Edward Nelson: I want a career in education. I want to be a teacher, work my way up to professor and then maybe a superintendent of a district. Education is never ending. You never stop learning. I want to help shape young people’s minds that can one day change the world.
Alex Khvatov: What five words best describe you?
Edward Nelson: Confident, intelligent, outgoing, loving and leader.
