There are a few things you should probably know about Bridgeport High School senior football player Connor Nelson.

 

First, he likes Buffalo Wild Wings. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to find him tackling about two dozen on any given occasion when visiting the eatery at Charles Pointe.

 

Second, he loves his mom Debra’s cooking. In particular, it’s her spaghetti and meatballs that are his favorite. When eating at the Nelson household, look for a massive pile of spaghetti with three or four meatballs on top.

 

The third thing you need to know is that this isn’t the first year Nelson has been on the sidelines with the Indians. In a somewhat official capacity, this marks his seventh year of activity for the Indians and in an unofficial capacity he’s well into the double digits.

 

For those thinking that he’s somehow managed to fool those fine folks in the WVSSAC offices in Wood County, think again. For most of his life, Connor Nelson has been a regular inhabitant of the sidelines of Bridgeport High School football games both home and away.

 

“I was on the field probably before I could even walk,” said Nelson.

 

Like his love for large amounts of wings and Italian comfort foods, it’s not an exaggeration. And it has nothing to do with any special treatment. Rather, Nelson’s father is Dr. Kelly Nelson who has served for a quarter of a century as the team’s doctor.  Doc Nelson’s presence on the sideline has been as consistent as non-losing seasons at Wayne Jamison Field.

Of course, when you’re a father and you have a young child that young child often wants to be with dad. Many times, that was on a Friday night when Connor found himself with his father – sometimes in his arms – at ball games.

 

“Dad would pick me up and walk with me and then as I got bigger I would stand with him and walk with him at games,” said Connor. “The one reason I kept close is that I didn’t want to get ran over. The players just looked huge. I remember thinking everyone the field was three times bigger than I was. I could just never imagine being that big.”

 

For a while, at least, it seemed like that might be the case. Even when Doc Nelson checked with BHS Coach Josh Nicewarner about Connor becoming an official ball boy about the time Connor was in sixth grade, he was still on the tiny side.

 

“When I started as a ball boy, I was still really small and I knew I had to pay attention to the game and I couldn’t go over and talk to my friends,” said Connor. “I also knew if I missed a play or if an official had to yell to get my attention my dad would jump my case. I just learned to pay attention because of that and because I didn’t want to get run over. Fortunately, I never did.”

 

That didn’t mean that he didn’t take a few bumps. In his first year, Connor said he would go behind the goal posts to get the extra points.

 

“I would catch them and get blasted in the chest and it would knock the wind out of me,” said Connor. “I just kept doing it because by that time I was in love with the game of football.”

 

Indeed he was. From the age of five when he played flag football, all the way through what is now his final year of prep football, Nelson has developed a love for the game that has witnessed him spending at least three days a week – and many times five days – since his freshman year working in the BHS weight room all because assistant Coach John Cole told him it would make him better. Because of that, something else has developed as well – his physical persona.

“You never have to worry about Connor working hard,” said Nicewarner in the preseason. “You tell him what needs to be done and he does it. You can look at him and see the hard work. You can see the difference physically.”

 

No longer is the same small kid that rambled along the sidelines tossing the ball back to the officials or tagging alongside his father. Heck, he’s not the same 5’7, 175 pound kid he was as a freshman or the same, 6’2 and 200 pounder he was last year as a standout defensive and offensive end.

 

 

Connor Nelson, former ball boy extraordinaire, comes in at 6’4 and is tipping the scales at nearly 240 pounds. There are no longer any individuals on the field that are three times his size.

 

“I really put the weight on this year; about 30 pounds or so,” said Connor. “That’s from having a mother that cooks for me and eating all those wings.”

 

For many athletes, extra weight is a problem. For Nelson, the only thing it’s really led to on a negative front is some good-natured ribbing from his teammates.

 

“I guess this year was the roughest because I’ve always been slow starting out in the offseason conditioning and usually catch up pretty quick. Once that happened this year and I was putting on the weight, the guys kept joking with me that my dad was hooking me up with stuff because he’s a doctor,” said Connor. “That’s okay. I knew if they were noticing then my hard work was paying off.”

 

And it’s paying off for the Indians in a way that even Nelson didn’t expect. Late last year, when he was still in the 200-pound range, Nelson said assistant coaches Adam King and Jayson Nicewarner joked about moving him from offensive end to offensive tackle. Once the 2014 season got into motion, Nicewarner approached him in a very serious manner.

 

“He asked me about moving and I thought with my size it was probably inevitable. Besides, Josh said we needed a tackle and I’m comfortable doing whatever the coach asks me to do because he’s asking me to do something for the good of the team,” said Nelson.

 

So when week one came around, Nelson was still at the defensive end spot. On offense, he was now officially in the trenches. And so far so good, the player said.

 

“I actually caught on pretty quickly, but I’ve got more to learn and hope to continue to improve,” said Connor. “The good news is that the coaches have been positive with me.”

 

Perhaps the really good news is that along with adding size and with filling a position of need for the Indians, there has been no downside to the added weight. In particular, his speed is fine.

 

“My 40 time this year was actually quite a bit improved,” said Connor. “If I can do my job and do it well, hopefully it can help the team. That’s all that matters.”

 

And where does he hope that help leads the team?

 

“The only thing you hope for and the only thing you play for is another state title,” said Connor. “Once you’ve been involved with one, it makes you want it again that much more.”

 

Editor's Note: A young Connor Nelson takes a break from his ball boy duties, while in the second photo he puts the pressure on the Wheeling Park punter. In the third photo, Nelson (77) talks strategy with teammates and in the bottom picture, Connor, right, is shown many years ago with his father, Dr. Kelly Nelson, and his older brother Cameron.