Youth sports are a big deal in the US, but a large majority of those who play before high school or quit early into the process, but for those who really love the sport quitting was never an option.
“I’ve been in love with football ever since I was a kid, so it means a lot to me,” said Senior Nathan Nelson.
Nelson committed to Ottawa University in Arizona just days after receiving a scholarship offer from them on January 27th after a breakout year starting at cornerback.
Nelson said, “I would describe my senior year of football at Slope as a learning experience because there were trials and eros which have helped me see the room for improvement that I have.”
Nelson already improved quite a lot this past year putting up 34 total tackles and only missing one start in the entire year which was due to injury.
“I’ll look back at Sunnyslope as a fun 3 years of experience where I created bonds and grew as a person,” Nelson said, “but I believe that Sunnyslope was a good preparation for what is to come.”
In this past season, Ottowa went 8-1 and over the past 3 years they have 23 games to only 4 losses, but Nelson is excited for more than just going to a successful program.
“I’m excited to create new bonds with new teammates and people,” Nelson said, “I’m excited for the college experience and I’m excited to see how much I’ll improve not only as a ball player but also as a person.”
Having this opportunity brings a lot of unfamiliarity for Nelson as it would for any athlete, but there is not a single chance that this would shake his confidence or excitement for the next 4 years.
“Playing at the next level to me means being able to keep doing what I love while pursuing a degree,” said Nelson.
There are still at least 4 more years left for Nelson to do what he loves and it better be believed that he’s gonna be loving it every day.