Blazer Great JJ Nelson Returns Home To Visit UAB
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - November 7, 2024
JJ Nelson Sr. spent most of this past Friday afternoon hanging out in the UAB Football Operations Center. The former UAB standout and NFL wide receiver took time during his visit to meet with the UAB wide receivers.
“I was just telling them, man, just be able to take advantage of the opportunities that you have,” said Nelson, a Birmingham native, who played in at Midfield High. “Especially just being here at this beautiful university, having the opportunity to go out here and play, no matter the scoreboard or what the record may look like. I said, because at the end of the day, man, you still got to get good stuff on film. You still got another common goal after this, if that's what you want to do, with the NFL or whatever it is. Don't limit yourself. You can always go above what you think that you can do. Obviously, I'm a testament to that.”
The next day, Nelson was at Protective Stadium for the first time to watch a UAB football game. His last visit to watch his alma mater play football came in 2018 when the Blazers were still playing at Legion Field. He had a sideline view of Kam Shanks, a dynamic undersized receiver/kick returner like Nelson was in his days as a Blazer, putting on a show.
Nelson headed to the stands late in the first half, with UAB leading 45-0, to meet up with his family. He stopped on the way to give Shanks, who was relaxing on the bench, a pat on the knee. Nelson offered congratulations for a first half that included long scoring plays on a reception and punt return and another return that was nearly a touchdown.
“My little son (JJ Jr.) walked up to him in the locker room before the game and told him ‘Give me one,’” Nelson said of the the 5-foot-8, 180-pound Shanks, who finished with 311 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns. “When I tapped him (on the knee), he said, ‘Hey, I got you one.’ I said, ‘No, you got me more than that and I appreciate that.’ He’s a great kid, that’s all you can ask for.”
There was a time when it was Nelson making big plays for the Blazers. Before that, he was a two-time state high school champion in the 100 and 200-meter dash and an all-state receiver at Midfield High. He was lightly recruited but then-UAB head coach Neil Callaway gave him the opportunity. He was listed at 5-foot-11, 160 pounds, both which seemed inflated at the time, as a true freshman in 2010. He redshirted his first year and then developed into of the top playmakers in the country. Over four years, he had 116 catches for 2,273 yards with 20 receiving touchdowns. He had 27 career touchdowns, including returns and rushing, with 19 of those scores coming from 40 yards or more.
As a senior, Nelson earned All-American honors after returning a national best four kickoffs for a touchdown, including one in the win over Southern Miss on the final day of the season. He finished his career with a school-record 4,670 all-purpose yards.
“UAB means a lot to me,” Nelson said. “Just going all the way back to even just being a kid, you know, wanting to play football. Then you go to middle school, then you go to high school, and not a lot of people get a chance to go to college and even play football for free on a full scholarship. UAB blessed me with that. They took a chance on me, throughout my whole recruiting process, I didn't have many teams reach out to me. UAB was there, especially with Coach Callaway, Coach (Tim) Bowens and Coach (Tyson) Helton. Being from here, it's home, family coming in, always being supportive of me, having 20-40 family members in the stands, watching me for a home game, it was great. Just being able to fulfill what I was able to feel on the field and in the classroom. It's a great accomplishment to me and my family, UAB will always have a great spot in my heart.”
Nelson followed his NFL career by running a 4.28 40-yard dash, which was the fastest time in the 2015 NFL Draft Combine, and was drafted in the fifth round, with the 159th overall pick, by the Arizona Cardinals. He spent his first four seasons on the active roster with the Cardinals and spent time with four other NFL franchises before retiring in 2021. His career numbers include 85 catches for 1,475 yards with 11 touchdowns. His best season was in 2016 when he had 34 catches for 568 yards for six touchdowns with the Cardinals.
Nelson lives in Arizona with his wife and four young children. He was a quality control coach, working with the wide receivers, at Rice in 2023. Now, he’s training youth and high school players and working with a little league football organization in skill development. Even though his playing days are over, Nelson could still do well in a 40-yard dash competition.
“I have no clue,” Nelson said with a smile when asked what his current 40-yard time would be. “I always bet on myself. It'll be a 4.4. I won't go past 4.4. I feel like 4 -3 (maybe), anything 4.4 and under I think I can go get it. I feel like I can still run.”