Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame on Thursday night along with offensive lineman Josh Sitton. Nelson was a second-round selection, 36th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Kansas State. Nelson also won a Super Bowl Title (XLV) against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010-2011 season.
Jordy Nelson had a very interesting career with the Packers. He had a slow start to his career with the Packers but then became one of the best wide receivers in the NFL for a few seasons. In nine seasons with Green Bay, he played in 136 games and caught 550 passes for 7,848 yards receiving and 69 touchdowns. He averaged 14.3 yards per catch.
Nelson was with the franchise from 2008-2017 and finished his career with the Las Vegas Raiders. His final NFL career totals were 151 games, 613 receptions for 8,587 yards, and 72 touchdowns. He averaged 14.0 yards per catch.
However, throughout an NFL career, there are always times when someone is going to battle adversity and see what they are made of. Jordy Nelson had his crowning achievement when he came back from a torn ACL injury that sidelined him for the entire 2015 season.
Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson Injury Made Him Stronger
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Before the induction on Thursday, Nelson discussed the time when he walked off the field in 2015 in the preseason game on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers and into the locker room. Team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie was the one who diagnosed his season-ending knee injury.
Jordy Nelson said about it to Packers.com:
“They weren’t going to let me know on the field. They knew it was not good for me to know that there, because obviosuly the way I reacted in the locker room when I did find out would’ve been not good on the sideline at the time.”
It took him a couple of days to process the bad news and then he set out a plan and some goals with Weir and athletic trainer Bryan “Flea” Engel. Jordy Nelson won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2016. Nelson also said to Packers.com:
“We talked about it right after the surgery, that was the goal. It was that, and for me personally, it was to practice every day, and we got both of those accomplished. Didn’t miss one practice, didn’t miss a game, and we were able to go down to the NFL Honors and accept that award and take Nate and Flea down there with me, because they had a huge part in it.”
During the 2016 season, the Green Bay Packers made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game before losing to the Atlanta Falcons. In his comeback season, he caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns that season. He averaged 13.0 yards per reception that season.
The season before he tore his ACL in 2014, he was tremendous as well with 98 receptions for 1,519 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns. Nelson averaged 15.5 yards per catch that season as well.
Weir also spoke to Packers.com and said:
“Our players set the standard with how they trust people, how they treat people, how they show apprecation, professionalism, how they go about their work every day, not just when they’re healthy or when the team’s winning, but when injuries occur. I think in 10 years he set the standard.”
Jordy Nelson chose Weir to be his inductor at the Packers induction banquet. Weir is now the team’s director of rehab and return to play.
This was a well-deserved honor for Jordy Nelson to get into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Congratulations to him and also congratulations to Josh Sitton for getting in as well. Nelson was one of the best receivers in Packers history also. Nelson returning from his ACL injury was also his one shining moment.
