Nobody in college football had ever put up numbers like running back Darrin Nelson was putting up in 1977. In head coach Bill Walsh's revolutionary West Coast Offense at Stanford, he became the first freshman in PAC-8 history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. He added 50 receptions out of the backfield and scored six touchdowns...three on the ground and three through the air.
In his sophomore season, he ran for another 1,000 yards with six touchdowns and caught another 50 passes for 4 touchdowns.
Nelson missed the 1979 season with a hamstring injury...the same year Bill Walsh left Stanford to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. When Nelson returned to the field for his junior season in 1980, he had future Hall of Fame quarterback sophomore John Elway handing him the ball. That season with Elway, Nelson ran for 889 yards and four touchdowns and caught 47 passes for four touchdowns. His senior year in 1981 was his best statistical season: 1014 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, 846 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
He graduated from Stanford as the program's all-time leader in rushing yards, receptions, touchdowns and scoring, while also setting the NCAA record for all-purpose yards. Nobody had ever ran for 1,000 yards and caught 50 passes in a single season. Nelson did it three times.
Nelson entered the 1982 NFL Draft as triple-threat running, receiving and returning back. and was the first running back off the board: the seventh overall pick to Bud Grant and the Minnesota Vikings.
Nelson wasn't terrible in Minnesota. He played in 129 games over 10 seasons in Minnesota, had 10,377 all-purpose yards and scored 23 touchdowns. He was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Vikings during the teams 50th Anniversary in 2010.
But there are three things that Darrin Nelson is remembered for in Minnesota Vikings lore:
The 1987 NFC Championship Game Drop
The Vikings finished 8-7 in the 1987 strike-shortened NFL season and backed their way into the playoffs after a 27-24 overtime loss to the Washington Redskins in Week 15. The Vikings found themselves in a rematch with the Redskins in the NFC Championship Game with a trip to San Diego and Super Bowl XXII on the line. The game was a defensive battle, with Vikings quarterback Wade Wilson getting sacked eight times. The Vikings were down 17-10 with 53 second left in the game, facing fourth down on Washington's six yard line.
"One play. Nelson. Through his hands. And the Redskins will go to the Super Bowl." - Pat Summerall on CBSNeeding a touchdown to tie, Wilson threw the ball to Nelson, who dropped it in the end zone before being hit by defensive back Darrell Green. Washington would beat Nelson's former Stanford teammate John Elway in the Super Bowl 42-10.
With the tenth pick, the Los Angeles Raiders select...
There's always a lot of second guessing that happens in the years following a draft. At the time, Darrin Nelson was the top running back prospect in the draft. The Vikings needed a running back...never mind the fact that Hall of Fame guard Mike Munchak was taken by the Houston Oilers the pick after Nelson. Nelson was the first running back off the board. The second one was selected three picks later out of USC...the 1981 Heisman Trophy winner, 1982 Offensive Rookie of the Year, 1985 NFL MVP and six-time Pro Bowler Marcus Allen.
The Trade
Nelson had a contract dispute with the Vikings prior to the 1989 season and subsequently lost his starting job to D.J Dozier. He was then packaged with Jesse Solomon, David Howard, Issiac Holt, Alex Stewart and eight draft picks to the Dallas Cowboys for Hershel Walker. When he refused to report to Dallas, the San Diego Chargers were added as a third team to the deal. Nelson went to San Diego for a fifth round pick.
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