Football Southern Conference

Nelson Wins Harry Carson Award

Wofford consensus football All-America Matt Nelson was selected by the Orangeburg (S.C.) Touchdown Club as the 2003 recipient of the Harry Carson Award, honoring the National Collegiate Defensive Player of the Year.

The award was presented to Nelson by Carson last night before a gathering of more than 400 people at The Cinema in the Orangeburg Mall. It was part of the second-annual Orangeburg Touchdown Club Awards Banquet.

Carson, a former South Carolina State standout, played 13 seasons at linebacker in the National Football League and received All-Pro honors with the New York Giants.

Last year's Harry Carson Award went to University of Georgia All-American David Pollack.

"That's a great honor, just being awarded with the Harry Carson Award, you can't say enough about the guy," Nelson said. "(Carson) was an unbelievable player and is an unbelievable person. It shocked me when I found out that David Pollack won this award last year. It's just a great honor."

Nelson helped lead Wofford (12-2, 8-0) to its first Southern Conference championship and a trip to the Division I-AA national semifinals. He topped the Terriers with 167 tackles and six interceptions. The senior from Grove City, Ohio, is Wofford's career leader with 452 stops.

"What our football team took on this season was the leadership of the senior class," Wofford coach Mike Ayers said. "We've always tried to bring a great deal of intensity to the table and play hard.

"To go undefeated in the conference was a tribute to the seniors and our coaching staff. The big thing that stood out about Matt was that he competed when they were behind. He has that competitive heart and that spirit. He's very intense and he hits as well as anybody."