Jack Nelson - Winona State

MNSpaniel

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Hope for the best for Jack. He is from Byron ... a small town just outside of Rochester. I know ... not a Gopher but still a MN story. I had him as a student and hope for the best for him. If he makes it in the NFL he will be the second one of my students to do so. Always fun seeing this happen for good kids. The local TV reports think that he will be a free agent making a camp.

Winona State quarterback Jack Nelson is chasing his NFL dream
By Howard Sinker APRIL 26, 2017 — 8:10AM

Chances are that unless you follow small-college football in Minnesota, you don't know about Winona State's Jack Nelson, who set Northern Sun Conference records by throwing 102 touchdown passes and for 12,007 yards in four seasons. Nelson, who grew up outside of Rochester in Byron, Minn., is chasing the dream of going pro.

The reality is that he probably won't be taken in the seven rounds of the NFL draft, which runs from Thursday through Saturday. But he's hoping to be one of the dozens of players afterward who get signed to free-agent deals with the hopes of catching on with a team.

Call it a crazy dream -- and then keep in mind that small-college stars Tony Romo and Kurt Warner weren't drafted before becoming NFL standouts. Neither was Warren Moon, who played in the Canadian Football League before starring with Houston and then playing for the Vikings.

Nelson told Pat Ruff of Rochester Post-Bulletin that playing in the NFL "was a childhood dream of mine. I remember writing it down on a piece of paper as a little kid. It's something I've always wanted to do."

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Nelson started 43 games for Winona State, which went 8-3 last season, and averaged 279.2 passing yards per game in that time. His complete statistics are here.
 

Good luck to him! Guys like him throw the "star" system in recruiting in the ocean.
 

Wishing Jack the best. He was very fun to watch in the HVL.
Buck
 

Good luck to him! Guys like him throw the "star" system in recruiting in the ocean.

I guess not:

Rare prospects: 100-90 [Five stars]
These players demonstrate rare abilities and can create mismatches that have an obvious impact on the game. These players have all the skills to take over a game and could make a possible impact as true freshmen. They should also push for All-America honors with the potential to have a three-and-out college career with early entry into the NFL draft.

Outstanding prospects: 89-80 [Four stars]
These players have the ability to create mismatches versus most opponents and have dominant performances. These players could contribute as a true freshmen and could end up as all-conference or All-America candidates during their college careers and develop into difference-makers over time.

Good prospects: 79-70 [Three stars]
These players show flashes of dominance, but not on a consistent basis -- especially when matched up against the top players in the country. Players closer to a 79 rating possess BCS-caliber ability and the potential to be a quality starter or all-conference player. Players closer to a 70 rating are likely non-BCS conference caliber prospects.

Solid prospects: 69-60 [Two stars]
These players are overmatched versus the better players in the nation. Their weaknesses will be exposed against top competition, but have the ability to develop into solid contributors at the non-BCS FBS level and could be a quality fit for the FCS level of play.
 

If they would simply use the words may, sometimes, or usually.
 


Hope for the best for Jack. He is from Byron ... a small town just outside of Rochester. I know ... not a Gopher but still a MN story. I had him as a student and hope for the best for him. If he makes it in the NFL he will be the second one of my students to do so. Always fun seeing this happen for good kids. The local TV reports think that he will be a free agent making a camp.

Winona State quarterback Jack Nelson is chasing his NFL dream
By Howard Sinker APRIL 26, 2017 — 8:10AM

Chances are that unless you follow small-college football in Minnesota, you don't know about Winona State's Jack Nelson, who set Northern Sun Conference records by throwing 102 touchdown passes and for 12,007 yards in four seasons. Nelson, who grew up outside of Rochester in Byron, Minn., is chasing the dream of going pro.

The reality is that he probably won't be taken in the seven rounds of the NFL draft, which runs from Thursday through Saturday. But he's hoping to be one of the dozens of players afterward who get signed to free-agent deals with the hopes of catching on with a team.

Call it a crazy dream -- and then keep in mind that small-college stars Tony Romo and Kurt Warner weren't drafted before becoming NFL standouts. Neither was Warren Moon, who played in the Canadian Football League before starring with Houston and then playing for the Vikings.

Nelson told Pat Ruff of Rochester Post-Bulletin that playing in the NFL "was a childhood dream of mine. I remember writing it down on a piece of paper as a little kid. It's something I've always wanted to do."

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Nelson started 43 games for Winona State, which went 8-3 last season, and averaged 279.2 passing yards per game in that time. His complete statistics are here.

Dead on here. Jack is a great kid and he was a hell of a football player. I follow Winona State football closely and he was just a stud his entire career. Threw an 80 yard TD in a driving rain storm on his first play in his first game and never looked back.

This might get me ripped here, but Jack has the best arm of any QB I've watched at the college level in some time. I once saw him roll left and fire across his body 65 yards into a wind of about 20 mph. He did those types of things almost every game.
 

Dead on here. Jack is a great kid and he was a hell of a football player. I follow Winona State football closely and he was just a stud his entire career. Threw an 80 yard TD in a driving rain storm on his first play in his first game and never looked back.

This might get me ripped here, but Jack has the best arm of any QB I've watched at the college level in some time. I once saw him roll left and fire across his body 65 yards into a wind of about 20 mph. He did those types of things almost every game.
Anybody on here rips you has not been watching Gopher FB for 20 years. We have been looking for an arm like that since Sauter.
 

Jack did not sign a contract with anyone but did get invited to the Vikings and Colts rookie camps.
 





There was a guy on the Sports Huddle this morning from Winona. He said Nelson was planning to attend the Pro Day at MN, but Fleck wouldn't let him participate. Apparently Fleck said the pro day was for Gopher players only. Mike Max added that the Pro Day was closed to the media for the first time.
 

There was a guy on the Sports Huddle this morning from Winona. He said Nelson was planning to attend the Pro Day at MN, but Fleck wouldn't let him participate. Apparently Fleck said the pro day was for Gopher players only. Mike Max added that the Pro Day was closed to the media for the first time.

Yeah, I can't figure that out. PJ is an interesting dude. He's all over the place attending games, etc but he doesn't want any media coverage of his team or players. Maybe it's some jedi mind trick to keep the players focused or some other BS but seems like many missed opportunities to get fans and media exposed to the players and the program. I don't get it.
 

Still a nice story for a kid from a small town in MN. Uphill battle in Minnesota because the Illinois QB and Nebraska QB will also be in camp. Maybe he can get some exposure and catch on with someone else if not the Vikings or Colts.
Greatest QB in state history!
 



Still a nice story for a kid from a small town in MN. Uphill battle in Minnesota because the Illinois QB and Nebraska QB will also be in camp. Maybe he can get some exposure and catch on with someone else if not the Vikings or Colts.

Two ways to look at it though. I'm sure they keep thinking in their mind that yeah, he looked good, but it was against inferior talent. If he so much as keeps even with the other two it might give him the advantage since they might think he'd have the most upside.

Any camp is going to have multiple undrafted free agents, so at some point he'll have to outshine other guys to get an opportunity regardless where he goes. If he's got the talent someone will figure it out. Wish him nothing but the best!
 

Still a nice story for a kid from a small town in MN. Uphill battle in Minnesota because the Illinois QB and Nebraska QB will also be in camp. Maybe he can get some exposure and catch on with someone else if not the Vikings or Colts.

Think Nebraska QB (Armstrong) is coming in for a WR tryout


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There was a guy on the Sports Huddle this morning from Winona. He said Nelson was planning to attend the Pro Day at MN, but Fleck wouldn't let him participate. Apparently Fleck said the pro day was for Gopher players only. Mike Max added that the Pro Day was closed to the media for the first time.

"The culture will be to unite all of Minnesota."


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Every thread is going to be dominated by the same handful of posters and their Claeys vs Fleck pissing contest. Got it


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To unite all of Minnesota you should let Jack Nelson show up Mitch Leidner in front of scouts!
 

Every thread is going to be dominated by the same handful of posters and their Claeys vs Fleck pissing contest. Got it


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Really sad isn't it? Same 2-3 posters start them everytime.
 

Think Nebraska QB (Armstrong) is coming in for a WR tryout


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Per an article in the PP,

Tommy Armstrong is heading to the Vikings, but it won’t be as a quarterback.

The former Nebraska signal-caller announced Saturday night he will be trying out for the Vikings as an undrafted free agent. He later spoke to the Lincoln Journal Star about what position he might play.

“They want me to play kind of running back, but try me out at a bunch of other things because I’m an athlete,” Armstrong told the paper.
 

I wasn't aware that "kind of running back" was a position.

Seriously, I could see Armstrong as a hybrid RB/WR type who could also come in and play wildcat QB. Just hypnotize him and tell him he's playing against the Gophers.
 

To unite all of Minnesota you should let Jack Nelson show up Mitch Leidner in front of scouts!

Why not let them compete? May the best man win. I think most athletes understand that if the other guy's better, then he's better. I don't think sheltering players from competition helps anyone improve.
 

I wasn't aware that "kind of running back" was a position.

Seriously, I could see Armstrong as a hybrid RB/WR type who could also come in and play wildcat QB. Just hypnotize him and tell him he's playing against the Gophers.

Armstrong played well against most teams... he was a good/very good college player.
 

Armstrong played well against most teams... he was a good/very good college player.

He was a good/very good college player, but was phenomenal against Gophers every year.
 






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