Steelers Spotlight: Steven Nelson

Steven Nelson is not new to the NFL. He has five years of professional experience, and the statistics to prove it. Nelson may not be the man everyone has their eyes on, but he should be.

Nelson has been a star athlete ever since high school. As a senior at Northside High School in Georgia, he had seven interceptions and seven punt return touchdowns. Nelson was also a member of the track team that placed first in the county. As he moved on to college, he focused more on football. Nelson originally attended the College of the Sequoias where he had 71 tackles and six interceptions. He then transferred to Oregon State University and recoded 122 tackles and 10 interceptions in total. Nelson later accepted an invitation to play in the 2015 Senior Bowl for the Tennessee Titans.

Once Nelson graduated from Oregon State, he began his professional career journey. He attended the NFL Scouting Combine, participated in Oregon State’s pro day, and went to pre-draft visits with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. Nelson was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2015 NFL draft and finished his rookie season with eight solo tackles. The following season, Nelson was named a starting cornerback and played in his first career playoff game against the Steelers. Nelson faced an injury in 2017 and was out for several weeks. He was able to recover, however, and finished the season with 41 combined tackles and four pass deflections. Nelson started all 16 games the following season and recorded 68 combined tackles, 15 passes defended, and four interceptions.

Nelson joined the Steelers in 2019 and was named the starting right cornerback. Since coming to Pittsburgh, Nelson has shown that while he is a low-maintenance and low-key player, he has also been a gift for the team. Nelson has been playing consistently despite the inconsistent play from the rest of the team. He has been putting in the work and making critical plays. Even though Nelson has been steadily progressing, he is still waiting to produce some more big plays. Keep an eye out for Steven Nelson on the field and watch him become an essential member on the roster.