Shawn Nelson (born October 5, 1985) is a former American football tight end. Nelson was selected by the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

in the fourth round of the

2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...

. 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 ...

at Southern Mississippi. Nelson has also been a member of the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

High school

Nelson attended

East Ascension High School East Ascension High School, commonly referred to as EA, is a high school in Gonzales, Louisiana, United States. It is within the Ascension Parish School Board. As of 2010, the principal is Traci McCorkle, the associate principal is Lauren Lamber ...

in Gonzales, Louisiana. He was the high school teammate of San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman

Glenn Dorsey Glenn Jamon Dorsey (born August 1, 1985) is a former American football nose tackle. He played college football for Louisiana State University (LSU), received All-America honors twice, and was recognized as the top college defensive player of the ...

College

Nelson attended University of Southern Mississippi and finished his college career with 157 receptions totaling 2,054 yards and sixteen touchdowns.

Awards and honors

* MVP of

New Orleans Bowl The New Orleans Bowl is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 2001. It is normally held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans; when the Superdome and the rest of the city suffered damage due to ...

(2005) * 2x First-team All-

Conference USA Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...

(2006–2007) * Honorable mention All-Conference USA (2008)

Professional career

Pre-draft

Nelson impressed many scouts with his solid college career and impressive scouting combine numbers. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.56 forty-yard dash, bench pressed nineteen reps and posted a vertical jump of thirty three inches. Going into the

, Nelson was regarded as one of the top tight end prospects. He was drafted in the fourth round with the 21st pick (121st overall) by the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo Bills

In his debut game against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football, Shawn Nelson caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Trent Edwards. The Bills went on to lose the game 24-25. Nelson was suspended without pay for the team’s first four games of the 2010 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Nelson’s suspension began on Saturday, September 4, 2010. He was eligible to return to the Bills’ active roster on October 4, 2010. Nelson was released by the Bills on September 3, 2011.

New York Jets

Nelson was signed by the

on October 31, 2011. Nelson was waived by the team on November 22, 2011 due to a non-football related illness.

Blacktips

Nelson was also a member of the Blacktips of the Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL).

References

External links

Southern Miss Golden Eagles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Shawn 1985 births Living people American football tight ends Southern Miss Golden Eagles football players Buffalo Bills players New York Jets players Blacktips (FXFL) players People from Gonzales, Louisiana Players of American football from Louisiana East Ascension High School alumni