Kyle Nelson (born October 3, 1986) is an

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 ...

long snapper In American football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a center on special teams whose duty is to snap the football over a longer distance, typically around 15 yards during punts, and 7–8 yards during field goals and extra point att ...

who is a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He played college football at

New Mexico State University New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's ...

. He was signed by 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 ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2011.

Early years

He attended China Spring High School for his senior year where he started at tight end and was the team's long snapper on special teams.

College career

He played College football at

New Mexico State New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...

as the backup

Tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

, Fullback and

Long snapper In American football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a center on special teams whose duty is to snap the football over a longer distance, typically around 15 yards during punts, and 7–8 yards during field goals and extra point att ...

Professional career

New Orleans Saints

On July 27, 2011, he signed with the

as an undrafted free agent. On September 3, 2011, he was released. On September 4, he was signed to the practice squad. On September 5, he was released from the practice squad.

Kansas City Chiefs

On September 7, 2011, he signed with the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

to join the practice squad.

San Francisco 49ers

On January 11, 2012, he was signed to a future contract. On September 1, 2012, he was released.

Philadelphia Eagles

On September 25, 2012, he signed with 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 ...

to join the practice squad. On October 2, 2012, he was released from the practice squad.

San Diego Chargers

On November 20, 2012, he was signed after the team placed

Mike Windt on the season-ending Injured Reserve due to a wrist injury. During the 2012 season with the

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 ...

he appeared in six games. He was released from the

in May 2013.

Second stint with 49ers

On May 22, 2013, it was announced Nelson was signed to 49ers for a second stint to compete with Brian Jennings for the Long snapper position. He was later released on July 10, 2013.

Seattle Seahawks

On July 11, 2013, Nelson was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks after releasing Wide receiver Charly Martin. On August 26, 2013, he was cut by the Seahawks.

Washington Redskins

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 ...

signed Nelson on October 15, 2013, to replace Nick Sundberg, who was put on injured reserve. The Redskins waived him on July 21, 2014.

Third stint with 49ers

On July 25, 2014, Nelson re-signed with the 49ers on a one-year deal. The 49ers signed him to a four-year contract extension on March 6, 2015. On December 4, 2018, Nelson was suspended 10 games for using performance-enhancing substances. He missed the final four games of the season and the suspension carried over to the 2019 season. On March 12, 2019, Nelson signed a four-year contract extension with the 49ers. After missing the first six games of the 2019 season, he was reinstated from suspension on October 21, 2019, and was activated on October 26. The 49ers reached

Super Bowl LIV Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conferenc ...

, but they lost 31–20 to the

. On September 30, 2020, Nelson was released from the 49ers.

Arizona Cardinals

On November 10, 2021, Nelson was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. He was released on November 30.

Indianapolis Colts

On December 31, 2021, Nelson was signed to the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. He was released on January 3, 2022.

Los Angeles Rams

On October 14, 2022, Nelson signed with the practice squad of the Los Angeles Rams. He was terminated from his practice squad contract three days later.

Personal life

His grandfather Roger Nelson was selected in the 14th round, 164 overall in the

1954 NFL Draft The 1954 National Football League Draft was held on January 28, 1954, at The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. This was the eighth year that the first overall pick was a bonus pick determined by lottery. With the previous seven winners i ...

by the

but played 13 years in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

for the Edmonton Eskimos. His father, Mark Nelson, also played seven years in the

, and is currently the special team coordinator of the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

References

External links

New Mexico State Aggies bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Kyle 1986 births Living people American football long snappers American football tight ends Arizona Cardinals players Kansas City Chiefs players Los Angeles Rams players New Mexico State Aggies football players New Orleans Saints players Philadelphia Eagles players San Diego Chargers players San Francisco 49ers players Seattle Seahawks players Players of American football from Waco, Texas Washington Redskins players