2011 HIGHLIGHTS: GENERAL: Started at FS in all 16 games plus Wild Card playoff, one of seven Bengals to start every game ... Third on team in passes defensed (eight), with 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles ... Also had three special teams tackles ... Supported effort for Bengals defense to finish season ranked seventh in NFL in fewest yards allowed per game (316.3), fourth in fewest yards allowed per offensive play (5.0), ninth in fewest passing yards per game (211.6) and fifth in total sacks (45).
2011 GAME-BY-GAME: On Sept. 11 at Cleveland, logged a team-high nine tackles, including an eight-yard sack of Browns QB Colt McCoy, and had one pass defensed … On Sept. 18 at Denver, had eight tackles and forced a fumble by WR Eric Decker, which was recovered by Bengals’ Leon Hall … Led team in tackles, with a team season-high 13, Sept. 25 vs. San Francisco … Seven tackles Oct. 2 vs. Buffalo … Three tackles and a pass defensed Oct. 9 at Jacksonville ... Led team in tackles (eight) Oct. 16 vs. Indianapolis, and forced a fumble against WR Pierre Garcon in the fourth quarter, allowing for DE Carlos Dunlap’s 35-yard game-sealing TD on the fumble recovery ... Six tackles Oct. 30 at Seattle, along with a 75-yard INT return for a TD in the fourth quarter – the fifth-longest INT return in Bengals history and longest since 2002… Logged six tackles Nov. 6 at Tennessee … Logged five tackles and a pass defensed Nov. 13 vs. Pittsburgh … Three tackles Nov. 20 at Baltimore ... On Nov. 27 vs. Cleveland, intercepted a Colt McCoy pass at Bengals 46 on first play of fourth quarter, setting up Bengals FG drive that would tie the game at 20 … Seven tackles and a QB pressure Dec. 4 at Pittsburgh … Led secondary with 10 tackles Dec. 11 vs. Houston, along with two passes defensed and an INT that he returned 23 yards to Houston 25 in first quarter … Three tackles Dec. 18 at St. Louis ... On Dec. 24 vs. Arizona, tied for team lead in tackles (six), along with a sack, and returned a third-quarter INT 17 yards to Arizona 48 ... Six tackles in Wild Card playoff 1-7-12 at Houston, with a seven-yard sack of T.J. Yates.
Acquired in a September 2010 trade with Jacksonville, Nelson held starting FS role for the full season and postseason ... Led team in INTs (four) and INT return yardage (115) ... Had a 75-yard INT return for TD ... A powerful hitter, he ranked third on team in tackles (102) and tied for second in forced fumbles (two) ... Has 13 career INTs ... Played in 45 games over 2007-09 with Jacksonville, starting 42 ... Was first-round draft selection (21st overall) of Jacksonville in 2007.
2011 HIGHLIGHTS: GENERAL: Started at FS in all 16 games plus Wild Card playoff, one of seven Bengals to start every game ... Third on team in passes defensed (eight), with 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles ... Also had three special teams tackles ... Supported effort for Bengals defense to finish season ranked seventh in NFL in fewest yards allowed per game (316.3), fourth in fewest yards allowed per offensive play (5.0), ninth in fewest passing yards per game (211.6) and fifth in total sacks (45).
WATCH REGGIE RUN: Nelson’s 75-yard INT return Oct. 30 at Seattle was the fifth-longest in Bengals history and the longest since 2002. Nelson scored on the play, tacking on the final points in a 34-12 win.
2011 GAME-BY-GAME: On Sept. 11 at Cleveland, logged a team-high nine tackles, including an eight-yard sack of Browns QB Colt McCoy, and had one pass defensed … On Sept. 18 at Denver, had eight tackles and forced a fumble by WR Eric Decker, which was recovered by Bengals’ Leon Hall … Led team in tackles, with a team season-high 13, Sept. 25 vs. San Francisco … Seven tackles Oct. 2 vs. Buffalo … Three tackles and a pass defensed Oct. 9 at Jacksonville ... Led team in tackles (eight) Oct. 16 vs. Indianapolis, and forced a fumble against WR Pierre Garcon in the fourth quarter, allowing for DE Carlos Dunlap’s 35-yard game-sealing TD on the fumble recovery ... Six tackles Oct. 30 at Seattle, along with a 75-yard INT return for a TD in the fourth quarter – the fifth-longest INT return in Bengals history and longest since 2002… Logged six tackles Nov. 6 at Tennessee … Logged five tackles and a pass defensed Nov. 13 vs. Pittsburgh … Three tackles Nov. 20 at Baltimore … On Nov. 27 vs. Cleveland, intercepted a Colt McCoy pass at Bengals 46 on first play of fourth quarter, setting up Bengals FG drive that would tie the game at 20 … Seven tackles and a QB pressure Dec. 4 at Pittsburgh … Led secondary with 10 tackles Dec. 11 vs. Houston, along with two passes defensed and an INT that he returned 23 yards to Houston 25 in first quarter … Three tackles Dec. 18 at St. Louis ... On Dec. 24 vs. Arizona, tied for team lead in tackles (six), along with a sack, and returned a third-quarter INT 17 yards to Arizona 48 ... Six tackles in Wild Card playoff 1-7-12 at Houston, with a seven-yard sack of T.J. Yates.
PREVIOUS SEASONS: 2010 - Opened training camp with Jacksonville … Traded to Bengals on Sept. 4, with Jaguars acquiring CB David Jones and a conditional draft choice … Played every game for Bengals, playing all games for the third time in his four NFL seasons … Started six games, opening Games 7 and 11-12 at SS and Games 14-16 at FS ... Two special teams tackles Oct. 3 at Cleveland (tied for team lead) … On Oct. 10 vs. Tampa Bay, teamed with Morgan Trent to down a punt at Bucs one-yard line … Saw first action on defense Oct. 24 at Atlanta, recording two tackles … Seven tackles Nov. 14 at Indianapolis … Five tackles and team-leading three passes defensed Nov. 21 vs. Buffalo … Led secondary with seven tackles Nov. 25 at N.Y. Jets … Logged first INT Dec. 5 vs. New Orleans, picking off Drew Brees pass at Bengals 47 and returning it seven yards, leading to third-quarter TD drive … Seven tackles Dec. 19 vs. Cleveland … Seven tackles (tied for secondary lead) and a pass defensed Dec. 26 vs. San Diego, and forced a fumble by RB Mike Tolbert at Chargers 21 midway through first quarter, with Bengals recovering at Chargers 34 … Closed season with strong effort Jan. 2 at Baltimore, logging four tackles, an INT, a forced fumble and two passes defensed … In the Baltimore game, picked off Joe Flacco pass at Bengals seven-yard line late in first half and returned it 56 yards (club’s season-long INT return) … Forced fumble vs. Baltimore resulted in a turnover, as Bengals recovered his strip of WR Donte’ Stallworth at Cincinnati 36 in second quarter.
2009 - Played in every Jaguars game and started 14, with 13 starts at FS and one at LCB ... Played every defensive snap in win Oct. 4 vs. Tennessee and had nine tackles, plus his first career fumble recovery ... Made his first career start at CB on Nov. 1 at Tennessee, subbing for injured Rashean Mathis, and was credited with seven tackles.
2008—Started 13 games at FS, missing Games 4-6 with knee injury ... Returned a blocked FG 34 yards in Nov. 9 win at Detroit ... On Nov. 16 vs. Tennessee, intercepted pass at Jaguars two-yard line on opening drive ... Sealed win Dec. 14 vs. Green Bay with INT of Aaron Rodgers pass on final drive.
2007—Drafted by Jacksonville in first round (21st overall) ... Played every game and started last 15 ... Set team rookie record with five INTs, and tied for NFL rookie lead in INTs ... Named to Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie team ... Ranked fourth on team in tackles (82), tied for second in passes defensed (12) and had two forced fumbles ... Nine special-teams tackles ... Had sack and forced fumble against Vince Young on Sept. 9 vs. Tennessee ... Had first career INT Oct. 7 at Kansas City, off Damon Huard ... Fourth-quarter INT off Jeff Garcia helped seal victory Oct. 28 at Tampa Bay ... Later in season, intercepted passes by Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning and JaMarcus Russell.
COLLEGE: Played two seasons (2005-06) at Florida, appearing in 25 games with 18 starts ... Earned consensus first-team All-America honors as a senior ... Also as a senior, won Jack Tatum Award as nation’s top DB, awarded by Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio ... Started all 14 games at FS and had six INTs to help lead Florida to BCS national championship in 2006.
PERSONAL: Hometown is Melbourne, Fla. … Attended Palm Bay High School, where he was a two-time first team all-state selection at DB … Has a daughter, Tyjaezia … Active in community service in Jacksonville, he hosted the Mary Lakes Invitational Bowl Against Breast Cancer in June 2009, honoring his mother, who died of breast cancer in 2006 … Has counseled youth at a juvenile detention center and has been a celebrity waiter for fundraiser for Jacksonville hospitals … Also has visited Ronald McDonald House and served food at a homeless mission.
