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Reggie Nelson brings new attitude and new value to Jack Del Rio
Reggie Nelson began his NFL career with Jack Del Rio as his head coach. Now, at the age of 32, one of the newest members of the Oakland Raiders could potentially end his career with Jack Del Rio as his head coach.
Nelson was drafted in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had a strong rookie year, but fell out of favor with Del Rio and was benched late in his second season before ultimately being traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. Because of that, some assumed that Del Rio and the Raiders would not be interested in bringing Nelson in and that Nelson might not be interested in playing for Del Rio.
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As it turns out, neither was true and Nelson in particular noted his excitement at playing under Del Rio again:
I’m excited man. I was a different dude when they drafted me. I’m a veteran now, wiser. I’m just excited to see what he’s got going on in Oakland and to be a part of that. I mean, I love Jack and always have. I’m excited to be reunited with him.
Many took the statement of “I was a different dude when they drafted me. I’m a veteran now, wiser.” as a sign that Nelson acknowledged his role in what happened in Jacksonville. And since joining the Raiders, Nelson has dispelled any and all concerns that he might still have maturity issues. Instead, he has become one of the team’s most prominent veteran voices. This is what Marcel Reece, another one of the team’s key veteran leaders had to say about Nelson:
He’s the one you are always hearing, always getting guys [aligned] out there. It doesn’t stop when he goes to the sideline, either. That’s when you really notice it. He’s still on the sideline yelling things out to guys, making sure they’re always where they’re supposed to be and keeping right.
Early in his career, Jack Del Rio had a skilled young player who needed to grow up before he could get the most out of his natural ability. Now, Del Rio gets to coach the same player, but this time with the maturity level to get the most out of him. And not only will the Raiders get a better player on the field, they will also enjoy the benefit of adding a leader to the locker room after the team lost two key defensive leaders in Justin Tuck and Charles Woodson. Reggie Nelson may be on the backside of his career, but I Think Del Rio would prefer this Nelson over the Reggie Nelson he drafted with the Jaguars.
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