Andy Nelson (American football)
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| Date of birth | May 27, 1933 |
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| Place of birth | Athens, Alabama, United States |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Safety |
| College | Memphis |
| NFL draft | 1957 / Round: 11 / Pick: 126 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1957–1963 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1964 | New York Giants |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Pro Bowls | 1 |
| Career stats | |
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Andrew Vaughan Nelson (born May 27, 1933) is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants. He currently owns and runs a small BBQ establishment, Andy Nelson's Barbecue.
Andy was born in Athens, Alabama, where his father Guy was chief pitmaster for Limestone County. He was a four-sport athlete at Athens High School playing football, basketball, track and baseball, serving as co-captain of the 1951 team and winning letters for each of his four years he completed. Nelson played quarterback and defensive back for then Memphis State University. A four-year letterman (1952–1956), he gained All-American recognition in his senior season. In 1956, He led the Tigers to their first-ever bowl game, the Burley Bowl in Johnson City, Tennessee, where they were victorious over East Tennessee State.
Nelson was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the eleventh round of the 1957 NFL Draft. Having played both quarterback and defensive back in college, the Colts made him a defensive player. Nelson started 12 games his rookie season, with 5 interceptions for 29 yards. The following season, Nelson would record 8 interceptions for 199 yards and 1 touchdown. the Colts would go on to win the NFL Championship in what was the NFL's first sudden-death overtime game and has since become widely known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played". The Colts would repeat in 1959 and over his seven-year career with the Colts, Nelson would rack up 32 total interceptions for 365 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Colts traded Nelson to the New York Giants for the 1964 season, his last in the NFL.
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