Biography
CAREER: Lettered four years at Harvard University (2018-19-20-21) and two seasons at Duke (2022-23) … three-time National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society member (2021-22-23) and two-time Academic All-ACC recipient (2022-23) … in 46 career games (9 starts), compiled 101 tackles, 17.5 TFL, 8.0 sacks, two PBUs, six QB pressure, two caused fumbles, two forced fumbles and one blocked field goal … recorded 2+ tackles in 29 games, including a career-high seven tackles against Princeton in 2021 ... credited with a career-best 2.0 TFL against Howard (2019) and Clemson (2023) ... posted one forced fumble against Howard (2019), Kansas (2022) and Clemson ... secured lone fumble recovery versus Northwestern in 2022 ... garnered blocked field goal against Princeton in 2021 … helped Duke to consecutive bowl games (2022 Military and 2023 Birmingham) … played 1,250 career snaps.
2023: Academic All-ACC and NFF Hampshire Honor Society honoree ... saw action in 12 games (six starts), missing the Northwestern contest … earned starts against Florida State, Louisville, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Troy … recorded 20 tackles, 4.5 TFL and one forced fumble … recorded 1+ tackle in 10 games and 3+ tackles in three contests, including a season-high four against Clemson … earned 1.0 TFL in three games with a year-best 2.0 coming against Clemson … lone caused fumble was against the Tigers ... on the field for 339 snaps.
2022: Academic All-ACC and NFF Hampshire Honor Society honoree ... saw action in 10 games, making one start against Wake Forest ... missed the Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Miami contests due to injury ... compiled 15 tackles, 2.0 TFL, one PBU, two QB pressures, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble ... registered 2+ tackles in six games, including a season-high four against Virginia ... posted a season-high two QB pressures versus Wake Forest ... tallied one forced fumble against Kansas, while lone fumble recovery came against Northwestern ... on the field for 341 snaps.
PRIOR TO DUKE: Four-year member of the football program at Harvard University (2018-19-20-21) [2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19] ... 2021 NFF Hampshire Honor Society member … in 24 career games, compiled 56 tackles, 11.0 TFL, 8.0 sacks, one PBU, six QB pressures and one blocked field goal … registered a career-high seven tackles against Princeton in 2019 … garnered blocked field goal against Princeton in 2021 … carded one caused fumble versus Howard in 2019 … on the field for 570 snaps … lettered three years and started two at Jesuit under coach Matt Thompson ... collected defensive MVP and defensive line MVP team honors ... all-city, all-county and all-state selection.
PERSONAL: Born January 7, 2000 ... graduated from Harvard in May 2022, with a degree in government and psychology ... graduated from Duke in May 2023, with a master’s in management studies from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business ... son of Tony and Joli Nelson.
