Nelson making big impact for Gators

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Posted 8:06PM on Thursday, November 2, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A female student followed Florida safety Reggie Nelson several hundred feet, waiting for him to stop chatting with teammates and then asking him to pose for a picture. ``You're my favorite player,'' she said. She's hardly alone. Nelson has endeared himself to fans, teammates and coaches with touchdown-saving tackles, comeback-ending interceptions and momentum-turning hits. The junior from Melbourne has made a significant impact in wins against Southeastern Conference opponents Tennessee, Alabama, LSU and Georgia and might be the biggest reason the seventh-ranked Gators are in a position to win the East Division and return to the championship game for the first time since 2000. ``He's as fine a football player as I've ever been around,'' coach Urban Meyer said. ``If he's not an All-American, then I'd like to go to lunch with the selection committee and watch film and explain to them what an All-American is because Reggie Nelson is an All-American. He's as fine a football player as there is in the country, and he's our guy.'' ``If you said, 'What's the key to our defense?' That guy right in the middle because of the passion he plays with, the way he hits people, the way he gets to the football,'' Meyer said. Florida (7-1, 5-1) can clinch a spot in the league title game Saturday with a victory at Vanderbilt (4-5, 1-4) combined with LSU beating Tennessee. It probably wouldn't surprise anyone if Nelson made the play of the game against the Commodores. After all, he's done it all season. ``He's probably one of the best defensive players I've ever played with,'' defensive tackle Ray McDonald said. ``He can hit and he can cover. He's a great, outstanding playmaker.'' Nelson intercepted two passes against the Volunteers, picking off Erik Ainge's first pass of the game to give Florida some momentum and catching his last one to seal a one-point win. Two weeks later against the Crimson Tide, Nelson returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, turning an eight-point game into a two-touchdown victory. He added five tackles and recovered a fumble following an interception. He was at it again against LSU. He had several crushing hits, blocked a punt in the third quarter and dislodged a pass late in the game that fell into cornerback Ryan Smith's hands. The interception essentially ended LSU's comeback attempt. Nelson was just as good against the Bulldogs. He tied his career high with seven tackles, recovered a fumble and probably was the reason Georgia receivers dropped so many passes. ``Nothing comes between the hashes,'' Nelson said. ``I've just been getting my job done on defense. I'm just running around the field trying to make plays.'' Nelson is fifth on the team with 31 tackles and second with four interceptions. But his statistics only began to tell his story. His mother has been fighting cancer the last three years, enduring painful bouts of chemotherapy and radiation. She attended a game in early September and had to carry an oxygen tank. ``She tells me to pray every day and that's what I've been doing,'' Nelson said. ``She can't do too much but be strong.'' Nelson has other obligations, too. He has one child in Melbourne and another in Kansas. ``I know I've got responsibilities,'' he said. ``All I can do is talk to them and take care of them and be there for them.'' Nelson was an Internet legend long before he played a down at Florida. Talk of his speed, athleticism and playmaking ability reached near-mythic proportions while the Gators recruited him in 2002. His reputation grew after he signed with Florida in 2003. According to message boards, office chat and sports talk shows, Nelson was going to be one of the best to play in Gainesville. He certainly has lived up to the hype. His path to Florida came with a detour, though. Nelson helped his high school team win state titles in 2000 and 2002. Without hesitation, he decided to sign with Florida. But he failed to qualify academically in 2003 and begrudgingly spent two years at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, longing for his chance to join the Gators. In 2004, he led the Red Ravens with 67 tackles, intercepted six passes, returned one for a touchdown and recovered two fumbles. The Gators waited most of summer 2005 for Nelson to complete his course work and finally clear the way for arrival two years after they initially expected. He has been worth the wait even for fans seeking a picture. ``Reggie's an athlete,'' linebacker Brandon Siler said. ``Reggie's probably one of the best athletes on the team. He has an edge to himself. He's light, but sometimes he hits 300 pounders and they can feel it. That's just the kind of guy he is, an outstanding athlete.''