Jordy Ray Nelson (born May 31, 1985) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
wide receiver who played in the National Football League for 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. He played
college football at
Kansas State
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
, where he received
All-American honors, and was drafted by Green Bay in the second round of the
2008 NFL Draft. During his tenure in Green Bay, he won
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
with the team over the
Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 season.
After spending 10 seasons in Green Bay, he played one year with the
Oakland Raiders before announcing his retirement.
Early life
Nelson was born in
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city and county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. As of the 2020 c ...
, to Alan and Kim Nelson, farmers who lived in Riley and had season tickets to
Kansas State
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
football games. The Nelson farm, established by his great-great-grandfather who immigrated from
Sweden, has been in the family for four generations.
Nelson attended Riley County High School in
Riley, Kansas, and played
football for the Falcons. During his senior year playing quarterback, he completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,029 yards and eight touchdowns. Nelson also rushed for 1,572 yards, averaging 9.8 yards per carry with 25 touchdowns. He was named Flint Hills Player of the Year by the ''Manhattan Mercury''.
In 2003, he played in the Kansas Shrine Bowl. In addition to football, he was an all-state
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player, averaging 17.2 points per game his senior year.
Nelson was an outstanding track and field athlete and won a national AAU championship in the
400 meters
The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is o ...
as a 10-year-old. In 2003, his senior year at Riley County High School, he won the state titles in Class 3A in the
100 meters
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contes ...
, with a time of 10.63 seconds;
200 meters, with a time of 21.64 seconds; 400 meters, with a time of 48.79; and
long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a ...
, with a leap of 7.00 meters.
Nelson became the third player from Riley County High School to make the NFL, joining
Jon McGraw and Homer Hanson.
College career
Nelson attended
Kansas State University, where he played for coach
Bill Snyder
William D. Snyder (born October 7, 1939) is a retired college football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Kansas State University from 1989 to 2005 and again from 2009 to 2018. Snyder initially retired from the p ...
's
Wildcats
The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...
football team from 2003 through 2005. When Snyder retired after the 2005 season, Nelson remained with Kansas State and played the rest of his college career (2006 and 2007) under
Ron Prince.
2003–2004 seasons
Nelson began his college career as a walk-on at Kansas State and took his redshirt year as a member of the Wildcats'
2003 Big 12 Championship team.
For 2004, Nelson was set to play defensive back, but during spring practice following his first year, Snyder moved him to the wide receiver position. He did not record any meaningful statistics in the Wildcats' 4–7 season in 2004.
2005 season
In the Wildcats' season opener against
FIU, Nelson had four receptions for 36 yards and caught his first career collegiate touchdown, an eight-yard pass from quarterback
Allen Webb, in the fourth quarter of the 35–21 victory. Including the season opener, Nelson caught a touchdown in seven straight games that he appeared in. In that seven-game stretch, Nelson's best performance came against
Oklahoma in a 43–21 loss where he had three receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown, which was a 73-yard reception from Webb. Kansas State struggled down the stretch of the season and did not make a bowl game with a 5–6 record. In the final game of the season, Nelson had seven receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown in a 36–28 victory over
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
.
During his sophomore season, Nelson caught 45 passes for 669 yards and eight touchdowns. He led the team in all major receiving categories.
2006 season
In his junior season, Nelson was listed on the
Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
watchlist, which is an award for the most outstanding receiver in college football. Injuries kept him off the field most of his junior year, leading to a disappointing junior season.
Nelson did have some highlights in the 2006 season despite not getting to play as much. In the season opener against
Illinois State
Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...
, Nelson had four receptions for 62 yards in the narrow 24–23 victory. On November 4, against
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
, Nelson turned in his best effort of the season with five receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown in the 34–21 victory. One week later, against the #4
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
, Nelson had a quiet day with only three receptions for 15 yards, but he threw a successful pass for 28 yards in the upset 45–42 victory. The Wildcats qualified for the
Texas Bowl
The Texas Bowl is an annual postseason NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game first held in 2006 in Houston, Texas. Each edition of the bowl has been played at NRG Stadium, previously known as Reliant Stadium. The bowl replaced ...
with a 7–5 record. In the 37–10 loss to #16
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...
, Nelson had four receptions for 81 receiving yards. Overall, Nelson finished the 2006 season with 39 receptions for 547 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards.
2007 season
After going unnoticed during his junior year, Nelson broke out during his senior year and was among the nation's best wide receivers. In the season opener against #18
Auburn, he had nine receptions for 90 yards. In addition, he threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Leon Patton in the third quarter of the 23–13 loss. Two weeks later, against
Missouri State
Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...
, he had a great performance with 15 receptions for 209 yards and a touchdown in the 61–10 victory. For the second time in his senior season, he threw a touchdown pass, which was a 24-yard pass to wide receiver
Deon Murphy
Deon Murphy (born April 15, 1986) is a Canadian football wide receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.
High school
Murphy started three seasons at Klein Forest High School, located in Houston, Texas. He earned seco ...
. Two weeks later, against #7
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, Nelson had 12 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown in the 41–21 victory. In addition, he had an 89-yard punt return touchdown. The next week, against
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
, Nelson had another great outing with 10 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown in the 30–24 loss. After the 47–20 victory over
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
, Nelson put together a string of six consecutive games with a receiving touchdown to end the season. On October 20, against
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
, Nelson had 12 receptions for 176 yards and three touchdowns in the 41–39 loss. Against the
Baylor Bears, Nelson had eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. In addition, he had a 92-yard punt return touchdown in the 51–13 victory. Against
Iowa State on November 3, Nelson had 14 receptions for 214 yards and touchdown in the 31–20 loss. In the following game against
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
, Nelson had nine receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown in the 73–31 loss. Against #6
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
the next week, he had eight receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown in the 49–32 loss. Against
Fresno State
California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...
, Nelson had 15 receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown in the 45–29 loss. The game against Fresno State was the last game of Nelson's college career as the loss knocked Kansas State out of bowl eligibility.
Nelson earned consensus
All-American honors and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award after catching 122 passes for 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns. Nelson also showed his versatility by throwing two touchdown passes and returning two punts for touchdowns. At the time his collegiate career ended, he was second in school history in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns to
Kevin Lockett
Kevin Eugene Lockett (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets. He played college ...
in records going back to 1956.
College statistics
Professional career
Green Bay Packers
2008 season: Rookie year
Nelson was selected in the second round with the 36th overall pick in the
Green Bay Packers in the
2008 NFL Draft. He was the third wide receiver taken in the draft, after
Donnie Avery
Donnie Dion Avery (born June 12, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Houston and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Aver ...
and
Devin Thomas
Devin Thomas (born November 15, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Michigan State, he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played for the Redskins ...
. In addition, he was one of two Kansas State Wildcats to be selected that year. He was the highest drafted wide receiver out of Kansas State since
Quincy Morgan
Quincy Demond Earl Morgan (born September 23, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos. With the Steelers, he won ...
went 33rd overall in 2001.
On July 27, 2008, Nelson signed his rookie contract with the Packers.
![Jordy Nelson Green Bay Packers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Jordy_Nelson_Green_Bay_Packers.jpg)
Nelson entered a wide receivers group that contained
Donald Driver
Donald Jerome Driver (born February 2, 1975) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Alcorn State University, Driver was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He ...
,
Greg Jennings
Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Western Michigan an ...
, and
James Jones. He made his NFL debut in the Packers' season opener against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
. He was targeted once and had a 23-yard kickoff return in the 24–19 victory. He scored his first touchdown reception on September 14, 2008, in Week 2 against the
Detroit Lions, a 29-yard pass from quarterback
Aaron Rodgers. The touchdown was his lone reception in the 48–25 victory. Nelson was a steady presence for the Packers over the course of the season. From Week 3 to Week 13, he totaled 25 receptions for 267 receiving yards. Nelson recorded his second receiving touchdown, a nine-yard reception, in a Week 14 24–21 loss to the
Houston Texans. The season was a struggle for Nelson and the Packers as they finished 6–10 and missed the playoffs. Nelson finished his rookie campaign with 33 receptions for 366 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
2009 season
In the 2009 season, Nelson played in 13 games for the Packers, catching 22 passes for 320 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. In addition, he saw action as the primary kick returner along with
Tramon Williams
Tramon Vernell Williams Sr. (born March 16, 1983) is a former American football cornerback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Louisiana Tech, and was signed by the Houston Texans as an un ...
. Nelson recorded 25 kickoff returns for 635 net yards for a 25.40 average to go along with 17 punt returns for 90 net yards for a 5.29 average.
Nelson and the Packers finished 11–5 and made the playoffs as the fifth seed. The Packers fell to the
Arizona Cardinals in the
Wild Card Round by a score of 51–45. Nelson had one reception for 11 yards and a receiving touchdown to go along with four kickoff returns for 79 net yards in his playoff debut.
2010 season: Super Bowl season
Nelson's role with the Packers expanded in the 2010 season. Over the first ten games of the season, Nelson totaled 29 receptions for 301 receiving yards to go along with some kick return duties. On November 28, in Week 12, Nelson had five receptions for 61 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season in the 20–17 loss to the
Atlanta Falcons. Nelson's touchdown was a game-tying ten-yard reception with only 56 seconds remaining. On December 26, in Week 16, he had four receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown, which was an 80-yard reception, in the 45–17 victory over the
New York Giants.
In the 2010 season, Nelson set career highs with 582 receiving yards and 45 catches, while catching two touchdown passes for the third straight year. Following the injury to Aaron Rodgers against the
Detroit Lions on December 12, 2010, it was revealed that Nelson was third on the Packers' quarterback depth chart.
Nelson and the Packers made the playoffs as the sixth seed after a 10–6 regular season. Nelson had a quiet day with only one target against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
in the 21–16 narrow victory in the
Wild Card Round. He picked it up in the
Divisional Round against the
Atlanta Falcons with eight receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown in the 48–21 victory. In the
NFC Championship
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Amer ...
, against their longtime rival
Chicago Bears, he had four receptions for 61 yards in the resounding 21–14 victory over the NFC North champions. With the victory, he advanced to his first appearance in the Super Bowl.
Two weeks later, Nelson caught a 29-yard touchdown pass on third-and-1 with Steeler
William Gay covering for the first score of
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. "This was Jordy last week: 'I think we need to convert on third downs to win the game.' ... Rodgers threw a terrific pass, capping an 80-yard touchdown drive," a live-blog reported. He recovered from a drop early in the fourth quarter to catch a 38-yard pass on the next play, taking the Packers to the
Steelers' two-yard line. Nelson was the top receiver of the game with nine receptions for 140 yards, which were both career highs.
In addition, he gained 19 more yards on a kick return in the third quarter of the 31–25 victory. Nelson, with 140 receiving yards, broke
Max McGee
William Max McGee (July 16, 1932 – October 20, 2007) was a professional football player, a wide receiver and punter for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL. He played from 1954 to 1967, and is best known for his seven receptions for 138 yards a ...
's long-standing franchise record of 138 in
Super Bowl I
The first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (known retroactively as Super BowlI and referred to in contemporaneous reports, including the game's radio broadcast, as the Super Bowl) was an American football game played on January 15, 1967, at the ...
for receiving yards in a single Super Bowl.
2011 season
![Jordy Nelson 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Jordy_Nelson_2011.jpg)
On September 18, he recorded an 84-yard touchdown reception for his only catch in the 30–23 victory over the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
in Week 2. Nelson signed a three-year, $13.35 million contract extension early into the season on October 2, 2011. On October 16, Nelson had two receptions for 104 yards, which included a 93-yard receiving touchdown, in the 24–3 victory over the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
in Week 6. On November 14, he had five receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns in the 45–7 victory over the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
in Week 10. Nelson continued his good stretch the next week on November 20, when he had six receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the 35–26 victory over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
in Week 11. On
Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
, he had six receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the 35–21 victory over the
Chicago Bears in Week 16. In the regular season finale on January 1, 2012, he had nine receptions for 162 yards and set a new-career high with three receiving touchdowns in the 45–41 victory over the
Detroit Lions.
Nelson finished the 2011 regular season with career highs in touchdowns (15), receptions (68), and receiving yards (1,263). He had a career-high 18.57 yards-per-reception, which finished fifth in the league that season. He moved into sole possession of third place for most receiving touchdowns in a single season in Packers franchise history, behind only
Sterling Sharpe (18) and
Don Hutson
Donald Montgomery Hutson (January 31, 1913 – June 26, 1997) was an American professional football player and assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as an end and spent his entire 11-year professional career with th ...
(17). He was named a
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
alternate.
The Packers went 15–1 in the 2011 regular season and earned the first seed in the NFC and a first round bye. However, Nelson and the Packers fell to the eventual
Super Bowl XLVI champion
New York Giants in the
Divisional Round of the playoffs and ended their chance of a repeat championship. Nelson had three receptions for 39 receiving yards in the 37–20 loss. Nelson was ranked 80th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2012
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 was the second season of the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers being ranked #1, while Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football ...
.
2012 season
On September 30, Nelson had eight receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown, which was the go-ahead score for the Packers in the fourth quarter, in the 28–27 victory over the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in Week 4. On October 14, he had nine receptions for 121 yards and tied his career-high with three touchdowns in the 42–24 victory over the
Houston Texans in Week 6. On October 21, he had eight receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown in the 30–20 victory over the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
in Week 7. On December 30, 2012, Nelson had three receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown in the 37–34 overtime loss the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
in the regular season finale. He scored the tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter of the game.
In the 2012 season, Nelson played in 12 games, starting ten; he missed four games and most of another two games due to a hamstring injury. He had 49 receptions for 745 yards and scored seven touchdowns in the 2012 season.
Nelson and the Packers finished with an 11–5 record, won the
NFC North
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough r ...
and made the playoffs as the third seed. In the
Wild Card Round, against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
, he had three receptions for 51 receiving yards in the 24–10 victory. In the
Divisional Round, against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, he had five receptions for 46 receiving yards in the 45–31 loss.
2013 season
On September 8, 2013, Nelson started the season with seven receptions for 130 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 34–28 loss to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. The next week, he had three receptions for 66 yards and two touchdowns in the 38–20 victory over the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. On October 27, he had seven receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the 44–31 victory over the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
in Week . One of the touchdown receptions was a 76-yarder in the second quarter Nelson closed out his 2013 regular season on December 29, when he had 10 receptions for 161 yards in the 33–28 victory over the
Chicago Bears, which ended up giving the Packers the NFC North title.
In the 2013 season, Nelson posted career highs with 85 receptions for 1,314 yards, for a 15.46 yards-per-catch average, and eight touchdowns. In the 2013 season, he started all 16 games for the first time in his career and was again named as a Pro Bowl alternate.
Nelson and the Packers finished with an 8–7–1 record and made the playoffs in the 2013 season. However, they fell to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
in the
Wild Card round by a score of 23–20. He was ranked 83rd by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.
2014 season
On July 26, 2014, Nelson signed a four-year extension worth $39 million, receiving an $11.5 million signing bonus toward a guaranteed $14.2 million.
In the season opener against the defending
Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for th ...
champion
Seattle Seahawks, Nelson had nine receptions for 83 yards in the 36–16 loss. During Week 2 against the
New York Jets, Nelson recorded an 80-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter. He ended up having nine receptions for a career-high 209 yards and a touchdown. It was his first career 200-yard receiving game as the Packers defeated the Jets, 31–24, despite having trailed 21–3. He became the first Packer since
Javon Walker
Javon Liteff Walker (born October 14, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 20th overall of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.
Walker also played for the Den ...
in
2004 to have 200 or more receiving yards in a single game. On September 28, he had ten receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the 38–17 victory over the
Chicago Bears. On October 2, he had a 66-yard touchdown reception in the 42–10 victory over the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
. On November 9, he had six receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns in another strong performance against the Chicago Bears, this time a 55–14 victory. On December 8, he had eight receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the 43–37 victory over the
Atlanta Falcons. On December 21, he caught all nine of his targets for 113 yards and a touchdown in the 20–3 victory over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
.
With a career-high 1,519 receiving yards on the season, Nelson passed
Robert Brooks
Robert Darren Brooks (born June 23, 1970) is a former American football wide receiver who attended University of South Carolina and played for the Green Bay Packers (1992–1998) and the Denver Broncos.
Biography Early life
Brooks sta ...
(1,497) to capture the franchise record for receiving yards in a season. His seven games with at least 100 receiving yards finished second to Brooks, who had nine games reaching the plateau in the 1995 season.
Nelson and Packers went 12–4 and made the playoffs in the 2014 season. As the second seed, they earned a first-round bye. In the
Divisional Round against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
, he had a quiet day with two receptions for 22 yards but the team was able to advance in a 26–21 victory. In the
NFC Championship
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Amer ...
, he had five receptions for 71 yards as the Packers fell to the defending Super Bowl champion
Seattle Seahawks by a score of 28–22 in overtime. He was named to his first career Pro Bowl for the 2014 season. He was ranked 18th by his peers on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.
2015 season: Lost season
In a Week 2 preseason game against the
Pittsburgh Steelers at
Heinz Field
Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panth ...
, Nelson caught an eight-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers, but then fell to the turf without contact. He limped to the sidelines with an apparent knee injury and did not return to the game. MRI scans deemed that Nelson had
torn the ACL in his right knee. He remained inactive for the remainder of the 2015 season.
2016 season
Nelson returned from his injury to start the 2016 season on time. In Week 3, he had six receptions for 101 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 34–27 victory over the
Detroit Lions. On November 13, he was targeted a career-high 18 times and had 12 receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown in the 47–25 loss to the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
. On December 4, he had eight receptions for 118 yards and a receiving touchdown in the 21–13 victory over the
Houston Texans. On December 11, he had six receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns in the 38–10 victory over the
Seattle Seahawks. In Week 15, he caught a 60-yard pass from Rodgers to put the Packers in position to kick a field goal and win against the
Bears
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
30–27. On Christmas Eve, he had nine receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns in another strong performance in the 38–25 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. It was his 25th and final 100+ yard receiving game for the Packers, third only to
James Lofton
James David Lofton (born July 5, 1956) is an American former professional football player and coach. He is a former coach for the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the G ...
and
Sterling Sharpe in franchise history.
Nelson and the Packers finished with a 10–6 record, won the NFC North and reached the playoffs as the fourth seed in the 2016 season. In the
Wild Card round against the
New York Giants, he had one reception for 13 yards in the 38–13 victory. Due to a rib injury sustained against the Giants, he did not play in the
Divisional Round against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
, but the Packers won 34–31 and advanced. The next week, despite having broken ribs, Nelson returned and six receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown, but the team fell to the
Atlanta Falcons by a score of 44–21 in the
NFC Championship
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Amer ...
in the final NFL game at the
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...
.
Nelson's successful return season had 97 receptions, 1,257 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns in 2016. His 14 receiving touchdowns led the NFL for the
2016 season. He was named the
NFL Comeback Player of the Year for the 2016 season after missing the entire 2015 season with the torn ACL. At the
2017 ESPY Awards
The 2017 ESPY Awards were presented at the 25th annual ESPY Awards show, held on July 12, 2017 at 5 pm Pacific at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California and on television nationwide in the United States on ABC at 8 pm Easter ...
won the award for Best Comeback Athlete. He became the sixth receiver in franchise history to record three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. He finished the season in the top ten active players in touchdown and receiving yards. Nelson was ranked 48th by his peers on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.
2017 season
On September 10, 2017, in the season opener against the
Seattle Seahawks, Nelson caught the lone passing touchdown from Aaron Rodgers as part of a seven-reception, 79-yard performance in the 17–9 victory. Four of Nelson's receptions gave the Packers first downs in the close game. In Week 2, against the
Atlanta Falcons, Nelson left with a minor injury early in the game, breaking a streak of 53 consecutive games with a reception dating back to Week 9 of 2012. The next week, against the
Cincinnati Bengals, he caught two touchdowns to pass
Sterling Sharpe for second in franchise history in the 27–24 overtime victory. Nelson's second touchdown in the game was a tying-score with only 17 seconds remaining to help force overtime. In Week 6 against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
, Aaron Rodgers was taken off the field by his coaches and medical personnel after suffering a shoulder injury on a hit from
Anthony Barr. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that Rodgers suffered a fractured right collarbone. Rodgers was forced to miss time, and Nelson's usual statistical volume dropped. Over the course of the rest of the season, his best game was four receptions for 35 receiving yards against the
Detroit Lions in a 30–17 loss on November 6. He finished the season with 53 receptions for 482 yards and six touchdowns.
On March 13, 2018, Nelson was released by the Packers after ten seasons. He finished second in franchise history with 550 receptions and 69 receiving touchdowns, and third with 25 games with at least 100 receiving yards, and fifth in with 7,848 receiving yards.
Oakland Raiders
On March 15, 2018, Nelson signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the
Oakland Raiders. After recording 53 yards combined in his first two games with the Raiders, Nelson had six receptions for a season-high 173 receiving yards and a touchdown in a Week 3 28–20 loss to the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
. He scored receiving touchdowns in the next two games, a 19-yard reception in the 45–42 overtime victory over the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
and a one-yard reception in the 26–10 loss to the
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
. After
Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiv ...
was traded to the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
, Nelson's role expanded in the offense. In his last five games of the season, Nelson totaled 38 receptions for 386 receiving yards to give him 739 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns on the 2018 season. He finished second on the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and third in receptions for the 2018 season.
On March 14, 2019, Nelson was released by the Raiders after one season.
Retirement
On March 27, 2019, Nelson announced his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons. On August 4, 2019, he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Green Bay Packer. In 2022, Nelson was announced as one of the inductees into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Franchise Records
* Most receptions in a playoff career: 54
* Most receptions in a playoff season: 21 (2010; tied with
Greg Jennings
Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Western Michigan an ...
)
* Most receptions in a playoff game: 9 (February 6, 2011, in Super Bowl XLV; tied with
Edgar Bennett
Edgar Bennett III (born February 15, 1969) is an American football coach and former running back who is the wide receivers coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Bennett played college football at Florida State ...
and
Antonio Freeman
Antonio Michael Freeman (born May 27, 1972) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), most notably for the Green Bay Packers. He attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Virginia Tech.
College ...
)
* Most receiving yards in a Super Bowl: 140 (Super Bowl XLV)
* Most games with at least two receiving touchdowns (career): 15
* Most games with at least two receiving touchdowns (single season): 4 in the 2011 season (tied with Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman, James Jones, and Sterling Sharpe)
* Most games with at least one receiving touchdown (single season): 11 in the 2016 season (tied with Sterling Sharpe and Davante Adams)
Personal life
Nelson married his longtime girlfriend, Emily (
née Rothlisberger), in 2007, after proposing during a family vacation to
Cancun. Emily played basketball at
Bethel College in Kansas. The couple have two sons, Royal and Brooks, who is "adopted," and daughter, Adda Jo who is also adopted.
Nelson is a
Christian and has spoken about his faith by saying, "Now, as a husband, father and, most importantly, as a Christian, I can see the Super Bowl Champion label with a greater perspective. I know it's an opportunity to share the most important truth of life: the gospel of the Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
."
On August 20, 2015, Nelson's alma mater, Kansas State, renamed their football team's locker room after him when Nelson donated an undisclosed amount to renovate their athletic facilities.
After the end of an NFL season, Nelson would return to his family farm in Riley, Kansas. Though he would be paid over $56 million as a player, Nelson put in up to 12 hours a day of heavy farm work including driving a wheat-cutting combine and rounding up the family's 1,000-cow herd. Nelson said that he identifies more as a farmer than as a football player. His parents are local restaurant owners in
Leonardville, Kansas. His parent's restaurant, Nelson's Landing, permanently closed in 2020 after 13 years in operation, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a cause.
On December 13, 2019, Nelson was named as a 2020 inductee for the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame. In 2020, he was named to the
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is a museum located in Wichita, dedicated to preserving the history of sports in the state of Kansas. The museum provides exhibits, archives, facilities, services, and activities to honor those individuals and te ...
. In 2021, he was named to the Kansas State Hall of Fame.
Nelson is a supporter of
Compassion International
Compassion International is an American child sponsorship and Christian humanitarian aid organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that aims to positively influence the long-term development of children globally who live in pov ...
and their “Fill the Stadium” initiative. In 2021, Nelson helped raised money for SHARP Literacy, a program designed to improve reading among children.
References
External links
*
*
Kansas State Wildcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Jordy
1985 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American Christians
American football return specialists
American football wide receivers
American people of Swedish descent
Green Bay Packers players
Kansas State Wildcats football players
Oakland Raiders players
Players of American football from Kansas
Sportspeople from Manhattan, Kansas
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players
Ed Block Courage Award recipients