RECRUITING: It’s More Than a Game

Gainesville (Fla) High linebacker Kevin Nelson living the dream; Junior prospect possessing freakish combination of speed and strength

by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

(Photo courtesy of Rivals.com)

CLICK HERE to read Mingea’s recruiting blog at NOLA.com.

For some, football is just a game.

For others, it is a game that can pay for school.

For the special ones, it is their life. It is what they eat, sleep, and breath. To them football is what they devote their lives to because they believe one day it will put food on the table and provide shelter for their families.

For Gainesville High School product Kevin Nelson (6-2, 220, 4.5) it is all of that and a whole lot more. However, that was not always the case.

“I grew up playing basketball,” Nelson explained. “That was my first love. In fact, I didn’t really get into football until my freshman year of high school. After playing for a little while thought wow, I might have a future in this.

“I’d watch college games on television and it motivated me because I thought maybe that could be me playing on Saturdays in front of the whole country. So I started running and working out on my own just trying to become the best.”

In 2007, Gainesville finished the season with a 1-8 record, but it improved to 5-5 in 2008 due to the outstanding play of Nelson. He finished the year with 125 tackles (10 TFL), and 2 sacks. It was enough to not only grant him All-State honorable mention honors, but also national recognition by college coaches from around the nation.

“I do not have any offers yet probably because the coaches are busy with the bowl games and they are finishing up this year’s recruiting classes, but I have gotten a bunch of letters,” Nelson claimed. “I have letters from Miami, LSU, Florida, Notre Dame, Stanford, and from just all over.

“I’ve also spoken to coach Urban Meyer and coach Hevesy from Florida and coach Dixon from Ohio,” Nelson added.

One of Nelson’s fondest memories is when he received his first letter. It did not come during his junior year however, instead it came during his sophomore campaign.

“The the first letter I ever received was from LSU,” Nelson explained. “I think I got it during like the third week of my sophomore season. I got it at school and I was like wow! I didn’t want to open it at school though so I waited until I got home and once I opened it at home I almost started crying. I was finally seeing that my hard work was starting to payoff.”

LSU along with two others are the three teams Nelson is truly hoping to receive an offer from. His reasoning however, is not the same as many of the other recruits. Many recruits wish to attend schools for the coaches, for the academics, for the location, but not Nelson. He has singled out three schools for its players.

“Some teams have okay players,” Nelson explained. “And some teams or schools have students that make good grades and they see it as their way out. But I’m just OK in class (2.7 GPA). I want to go to a school where the players aren’t ever going to quit because football is the only thing they have. That’s how I am. I look at football as the only thing I have that will get me out of the predicament I am in.

“The type of players that go to LSU, Miami, and Florida are big, tough, and rugged,” Nelson continued. “They have that Pit bull in them, that dog in them! They’re the type of players that will hit you and knock you to the ground and then laugh in your face. They will let you know they’re going to be in your face all game long for four quarters.”

Nelson’s work ethic both on the off the field resembles the players he mentioned. It was even noticed by his coach.

“It would be a dream if I ever got the chance to play for any of those three schools,” Nelson stated. “I feel like I could play for them too because I have their mentality. My coach calls me the ‘Haitian Psycho’.

“For some people football may end after the state championship game or during the playoffs, but it never ends for me,” Nelson concluded. “If I’m not playing in a game then I’m working out or writing down schemes. I even run and workout on my own. I try to do all of the little things that count and that I believe will get me to the next level.”

Note: Not only does Nelson possess the speed needed at the next level, but also the strength. The scary thing is he is just a junior. Nelson’s weight room breakdown - Bench: 335, Squat: 700, Clean: 275