Jordy Nelson, popularly known as WhiteLightning is a football wide receiver drafted in the 2008 NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers. Best described by sports analysts and commentators as one of the elite, he has won the Super Bowl and other notable awards in the NFL as a footballer.
He has received many awards and recognition for his sporting versatility since his college days; some of the awards are; First Team All-Big 12 in 2007, NFL Touchdown Leader 2016, Pro Bowl Mention in 2014, Best Comeback Athlete ESPY in 2017 to name a few. He is happily married to Emily Nelson, who he was friends with from a very tender age in kindergarten school.
Biography of Jordy Nelson
Jordy Ray Nelson was born to Alan and Kim Nelson on May 31, 1985 in Manhattan, Kansas. He was raised on Riley, farmland that his great-grandfather acquired and has served his family for about 4 generations. His parents, Alan and Kim, are farmers. He is of Swedish descent, although he was born American. The football star also has 2 siblings – Kelsey and Mike Nelson.
He taught at Riley County High School. He participated in the high school’s football team, which was called the Falcons. There he had 62% pass completion for 1,029 yards and 8 touchdowns in his senior year. For his outstanding performances, he was named Flint Hill Player of the Year by the Manhattan Mercury.
In addition to his exceptional performance in soccer, he also played basketball and his average points per game was 17.2 points as an All-State basketball player when he was part of the team that triumphed in an AAU championship. Jordy Nelson’s performance in the tracks was also notable. He ran in 400 m races with a time of 48 minutes and 79 seconds and 100 m races with a time of 21 minutes and 64 seconds; He went on to record a long jump of 7m.
Injury statistics and update
Jordy Nelson’s career began in 2004college, where he played as a defensive end instead of a wide receiver. From 2006 to 2017, Jordy Nelson suffered about 11 different injuries ranging from ankle strains, ligament sprains to shoulder and chest fractures, all of which have reduced his NFL playing time proportionately.
In 2006, he missed most games due to the posterior cruciate ligament injury he had previously suffered; However, he did accumulate 206 passes for 2,822 rushing yards and 20 touches in 36 games that he completed through the end of his collegiate career.
He began playing for the Green Bay Packers after being drafted in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was selected as the third recipient alongside Donnie Avery as 1st and Devin Thomas as 2nd in the draft.
He got off to a great start, ending his rookie season with a 33-pass reception for a 366-yard rush. Nelson suffered from a cruciate ligament (MCL) in 2009 and a thigh sprain in 2012. In his 25 games across two seasons (2009 and 2012), he recorded 71 receptions for 1,065-yard rushes and 9 touchdowns.
Later in 2015, a torn ACL sent Nelson off the field during the preseason playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Later in March 2015, he also underwent groin sprain surgery, which meant he missed the rest of the season.
He eventually returned to action and with a good balance between him and Aaron Rogers, he was able to handle 97 receptions for 1,257-yard rush and 14 touchdowns, earning him the 2016 NFL Comeback Player of the Year cart away and was ranked the 48th NFL Top 100 player.
He couldn’t repeat the 2016 feat in 2017 because Rogers was ruled out, injured. In March 2018, he joined the Oakland Raiders on a two-year contract. So far in his NFL career, the elite wide receiver has recorded 561 total receptions for 8,074 receiving spots and 70 touchdowns.
Who is his wife – Emily Nelson?
Nelson is married to Emily Nelson (née Rothlisberger). They grew up in the same city and both went to the same schools from kindergarten. She is currently a kindergarten teacher at Fort Howard Elementary School in Green Bay. The couple have hosted the annual Young Life Green Bay Fall Fund replenishment more than once. They are blessed with three children; Royal, Brooks and Adda Jo, who they adopted in 2017.
Height Weight
Jordy Nelson is approximately 6ft 3in tall and his weight is quite proportional to his height. He weighs about 98 kg. His arm length is 32.5 inches and hand size is 10 inches.