Florida Gators

CAREER: Saw action in 44 games while making 14 starts… Tallied 46 catches for 630 yards (13.7 avg.) and seven touchdowns in his five-year career at Florida… HONORS: 2009 SEC Football Community Service Team… 2006 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll… 2005 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll… 2009: Saw action in all 14 games for the Gators, starting in nine… Finished third on the squad in receptions (25) and fourth in receiving yards (291)… Collected 37 receiving yards on two catches in the Sugar Bowl versus Cincinnati… Had a career-high four receptions for 53 yards, including Florida’s only touchdown versus Alabama at the SEC Championship Game, a 23-yard catch from Tim Tebow in the second quarter… Tallied two catches for 23 yards against Florida State in his final game at The Swamp… Tied his previous career high with three receptions against FIU, amassing 45 receiving yards… Scored his first touchdown of the season against Vanderbilt on an eight-yard lob from Tebow with 9:22 remaining in the game, while matching a then career high with three receptions for 28 yards against the Commodores… Matched a previous career-high with three receptions for 26 yards in the win over Georgia… Had one catch for 13 yards against Arkansas… Grabbed two receptions for 27 yards in the win over Kentucky, the third consecutive game he had tallied two receptions… Tallied 26 yards on two catches against Tennessee… Collected two receptions for nine yards against Troy… Had one catch for four yards in the Gators’ season-opening win over Charleston Southern… 2008: Appeared in every game except Ole Miss, collecting starts against Tennessee and Alabama… His 12 receptions and 228 receiving yards were more than his two previous seasons combined… Had five touchdowns on only 12 receptions in 2008… Scored a critical touchdown in the fourth quarter of the BCS National Championship Game off a jump pass from Tebow… The touchdown gave the Gators a 24-14 lead and secured the National Championship title… Scored his first-career touchdown off a 38-yard pass by John Brantley in the win over Kentucky… Tied his career-high of three receptions against The Citadel and Alabama… Amassed a career-high 53 receiving yards against The Citadel… Graded out a Champion after recovering an onside kick at Florida State… Secured the longest reception of his career on a 41-yard pass against Vanderbilt… Appeared on the hands’ team for a failed on-side kick attempt by LSU… 2007: Received playing time in all 13 games during the season, including his first career start against Ole Miss… Had four receptions for 35 yards during the year… Caught a pass in three of the season’s first four games… Reeled in a season-high two catches in the season opener against Western Kentucky for 16 yards… Caught a season-long pass of 14 yards in the victory against Tennessee… Made one reception for five yards in his first career start at Ole Miss… 2006: Appeared in four games during his redshirt freshman campaign… Named to the 2006 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll… Made a career-high three catches for 47 yards in the 62-0 win over Western Carolina… Was chosen as the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week in preparing the Gators to face South Carolina… Had two receptions for 29 yards, including a 15-yard catch, in the win over UCF… Saw time in the season-opening triumph over Southern Miss… One of three wide receivers on the 2006 Leadership Committee, joining Dallas Baker and Jemalle Cornelius… 2005: Saw action in the Mississippi State game but did not appear in any other contests… Was named to the 2005 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll… PREP: Finished his senior year with 91 receptions for 1,641 yards and 18 touchdowns… As a junior, caught 50 passes for 1,079 yards and 14 touchdowns… Scout.com ranked Nelson as the 24th-best wide receiver prospect in the nation while Rivals.com placed him 23rd… Tom Lemming of ESPN.com ranked Nelson as the 58th-overall prospect in the country and sixth at the wide receiver position… Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl… Three-year starter, four-year letterwinner and captain of football team… Also played baseball, basketball and ran track in high school… Won letters in baseball, basketball, and track and was a starter for baseball and basketball… Named all-district for basketball and baseball and was a regional qualifier in track… Named to the 2002, 2003 and 2004 all-state squads… High school coach was Scott Ponder… PERSONAL: Was born on Nov. 7, 1986… His parents are Roy Nelson, Jr. and Karen Belcoff… One of seven children… Has four brothers, Daniel, Patrick, Jacob, and James, and two sisters, Nichole and Lauren… Lists hobbies as church activities… Admires Jerry Rice for being a team player and always being ready to play and his father for his support… Chose the University of Florida for the coaching staff and the academics after considering Notre Dame, Texas, and Iowa… MAJOR: Sociology.

CAREER RECEIVING STATISTICS

Year No. Yds Avg. TDs Long

2006 5 76 15.2 0 23

2007 4 35 8.8 0 14

2008 12 228 19.0 5 41

2009 25 291 11.6 2 30

Totals: 46 630 13.7 7 41

NELSON’S CAREER HIGHS

Receptions: 4 (Alabama, 2009)

Receiving Yards: 53 (2x, last vs. Alabama, 2009)

Receiving TDs: 1 (7x, last vs. Alabama, 2009)

Longest Reception: 41 (Vanderbilt, 2008)

Profile

?    Interned with UF’s Director of Player and Community Relations and former Gator, Terry Jackson, for the 2009 Summer A semester and helped to plan community service events and outings for the Gator football team, including working closely with the March of Dimes for the Gator Charity Challenge in July

?    Has preached in three jails in North Florida

?    Was mistaken to be Chris Leak on a cruise during spring break after the 2006 Tostitos BCS National Championship

?    Played football in high school with younger brothers Patrick and Daniel

?    Was a Class 4A first-team all-state wide receiver his senior year

?    Played basketball while in high school

What They’re Saying About David Nelson

"I enjoy what I've done here and who I've become. They always say college will define who you are and be the best years of your life. It really has been." (11/23/09)

David Nelson

"Sometimes he does go under the radar. But just look at his performance in the Oklahoma game. He makes those big plays because he’s accountable." (11/23/09)

Tim Tebow, UF quarterback

"Can you imagine being a parent of Nelson, looking back at your son's career? Is there any other way you'd have it other than what they've done?" (11/23/09)

Urban Meyer, UF Head Coach

"If he wants to go to the next level, he's not an outside guy. He's a guy that has to get big and strong and bang around and have great hands. He's doing that."

Urban Meyer, UF Head Coach

“It’s tough knowing that you want to be the guy that is making the play. That is how you have to feel if you want to be a playmaker. With guys like Percy Harvin, Andre Caldwell, Jarred Fayson, and Cornelius Ingram, you know that any of them can take it to the house and make a big play. You have to learn your role and be patient. When your number is called, you have to make the play no matter what happens. So you have to just make the most out of your opportunity.”

David Nelson