Nash Jensen (born May 7, 1999) is an American football

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the North Dakota State Bison, setting what is believed to be the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record for games played with 70.

Early years

Jensen was born on May 7, 1999, and grew up in Maple Grove, Minnesota. He attended

Osseo Senior High School Osseo Senior High School is a four-year public high school located in Osseo, Minnesota, United States on 317 2nd Ave. NW. The principal is Sara Vernig. Osseo Senior High School is a part of the Osseo Area School District 279 and is one of three ...

and was a versatile athlete, playing both basketball and football and seeing time at

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

, guard,

fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

, center and tight end in the latter. He was rated a two-star recruit and committed to play

for the North Dakota State Bison over several other offers.

College career

As a true

freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

at North Dakota State in 2017, Jensen redshirted as the Bison won the FCS national championship. He appeared in 15 games as a backup offensive lineman in 2018 as North Dakota State won another national championship. He moved into a starting role in the 2019 season, starting all 16 games at

left guard In gridiron football, a guard (G), otherwise known as an offensive guard (OG), is a player who lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team on the line of scrimmage used primarily for blocking. Right g ...

while helping the team win another national championship and set a school record with 4,601 rushing yards; HERO Sports named him a

sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...

All-America selection. The following year, Jensen started 10 games at left guard. In 2021, Jensen won his fourth national championship with the Bison while starting all 15 games, helping them have the second-best rushing offense in the FCS. He opted to return for the 2022 season after all NCAA athletes were given an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was named a first-team all-conference choice and a first-team FCS All-American after the season, in which he set what is thought to be the NCAA's all-time record for games played with 70.

Professional career

Jensen was selected in the sixth round (41st overall) of the 2023 USFL draft by the

Pittsburgh Maulers Pittsburgh Maulers may refer to: * Pittsburgh Maulers (1984), United States Football League team * Pittsburgh Maulers (2022) The Pittsburgh Maulers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Maulers compet ...

. He was not chosen in the

2023 NFL draft The 2023 NFL Draft will be the 88th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft is scheduled to be held in the plaza outside of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27–29, ...

, but afterwards signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent. On August 29, 2023, the Panthers announced that Jensen had made the initial 53-man roster.

References

External links

Carolina Panthers bio

North Dakota State Bison bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jensen, Nash 1999 births Living people American football offensive guards Players of American football from Hennepin County, Minnesota People from Maple Grove, Minnesota Osseo Senior High School alumni North Dakota State Bison football players Carolina Panthers players