Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Matt Nelson was born on December 19, 1995, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is a defensive tackle in the NFL. 

At High school, Nelson received Elite All-State team honors as a senior and First-Team All-State as a junior, and First-Team All-Conference as a senior and Second-Team All-Conference as a junior, and was also selected for Iowa Shrine Bowl. He was a two-year letterman as defensive end and tight end, and helped prep team post two-year record of 25-2 while reaching Class 4-A state title game in consecutive years. He recorded 43 tackles as a senior, with 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks, collected 47 tackles as a junior, with 19 tackles for loss and 11 sacks, recorded 13 receptions for 146 yards and four touchdowns as a senior, with 14 receptions for 162 yards and eight scores as a junior and was the team captain as a senior. He was a three-year basketball letterman.

During 2015, as a college freshman, he saw action in 13 games, recording 14 tackles, with 1.5 tackles for loss, one QB sack and one forced and one recovered fumble. Nelson  saw first action of career in 31-14 win over Illinois State, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed 35 net yards rushing and 231 yards total offense, saw action in 31-17 win at Iowa State, but had no statistics as defense allowed no points and just 66 yards total offense in the second half, saw action in 62-16 win over North Texas, recording two solo tackles, played in 10-6 win at Wisconsin, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense, saw action in 40-35 win over Minnesota, recording one assisted tackle, saw action in 40-20 win over Purdue having a career-best five tackles in win over Purdue, including four solo stops and one assist, with a caused and recovered fumble, saw action in 16-13 loss to Michigan State, recording one solo tackle and recorded one solo stop and one assist vs. Stanford, including first career QB sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.

For the 2016 season, Nelson started all 13 games, recording 19 solo tackles and 24 assists, the season totals include 6.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and two recovered fumbles. He started at defensive end in 45-21 win over Miami, recording two solo tackles and two assists vs. Miami, along with a fumble recovery and four-yard return, started at defensive end in 42-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 291 yards total offense, recorded two solo stops and one assist vs. ISU, including one sack for seven yards, started at defensive end in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State, matched a career-best with five tackles vs. NDSU, including one solo stop and four assists, and one sack, started at defensive end in 14-7 win at Rutgers as defense allowed just one touchdown, had a career-high six tackles at Rutgers, including four solo tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks, started at defensive end in 38-31 loss to Northwestern, recording one assisted tackle, along with his second fumble recovery of the season that led to an Iowa touchdown, started at defensive end in 14-7 win at Minnesota, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense.

He started at defensive end in 49-35 win at Purdue, as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yard, recorded two solo tackles and one assist at Purdue, including a shared sack, started at defensive end in 17-9 loss at #10 Wisconsin, recording one solo tackle and two assists, started at defensive end in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State, recorded two solo tackles and two assists at PSU, including one sack, started at defensive end in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan, recording two assisted tackles as defense allowed just 201 yards total offense, started at defensive end in 28-0 win at Illinois as defense allowed just 61 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense, recorded five tackles at Illinois, including one solo stop and four assists, started at defensive end in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska, recording three solo tackles and two assists as defense allowed just 90 net rushing yards and 217 yards total offense and started at defensive end in 30-3 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, but had no statistics.

Through 2017, he recorded 23 tackles, including 10 solo stops and 13 assists, also had two tackles for loss, one sack and three pass break-ups, saw action in 24-3 win over Wyoming, recording one QB pressure as defense allowed just 233 yards total offense, saw action in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State, recording three solo tackles, saw action in 31-14 win over North Texas, recording two assisted tackles, saw action in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State, recording one solo tackle and one assist, played in 17-10 loss at Michigan State, recording one solo tackle, played in 45-16 win over Illinois, recording one solo tackle and one pass break-up, started at defensive tackle in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern, for first start at this position, had four tackles vs. Northwestern, including two solo stops and two assists, with one sack and one tackle for loss.

Nelson started at defensive tackle in 17-10 win over Minnesota as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense, recorded two solo tackles vs. Minnesota, including one tackle for loss, started at defensive tackle in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State, recording one assisted tackle and one pass break-up, started at defensive tackle in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin, but had no statistics, started at defensive tackle in 24-15 loss to Purdue, recording one assisted tackle, started at defensive tackle in 56-14 win at Nebraska as defense allowed 67 rushing yards and just 267 yards total offense, recorded one assisted tackle and one pass break-up at Nebraska, started at defensive tackle in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College as defense allowed just 21 net rushing yards and 102 yards total offense in second half, and recorded career-best five assisted tackles and one QB pressure vs. Boston College.

In the course of 2018, he tied for third on the team in pass break-ups (6) while collecting 31 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack, started at defensive tackle in 33-7 win over Northern Illinois as defense allowed just 211 yards total offense, recorded one solo tackle and three assists vs. NIU, along with one pass break-up, started at defensive tackle in 13-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 19 net rushing yards and 188 yards total offense, recorded three tackles vs. ISU, with one solo stop and two assists, including one sack, started at defensive tackle in 38-14 win over Northern Iowa, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just six net rushing yards and 222 yards total offense, started at defensive tackle in 28-17 loss to #18 Wisconsin, recording one solo tackle, started at defensive tackle in 48-31 win at Minnesota, recording two solo tackles as defense allowed just 86 net rushing yards and started at defensive tackle in 42-16 win at Indiana as defense allowed just 67 net rushing yards.

Nelson recorded one solo tackle and one pass break-up at Indiana, started at defensive tackle in 23-0 win over Maryland as defense allowed just 39 offensive plays and115 yards total offense, recorded one assisted tackle and one pass break-up vs. Maryland . . . started at defensive tackle in 30-24 loss at #17 Penn State, matched career best with six tackles at Penn State, including two solo stops and four assists, totals included shared tackle for loss, one pass break-up and one QB pressure, started at defensive tackle in 38-36 loss at Purdue, recorded three tackles at Purdue, including two solo stops and one assist, started at defensive tackle in 14-10 loss to Northwestern, recorded two tackles vs. Northwestern, with one solo stop and one assist, to go with one pass break-up and one QB pressure, started at defensive tackle in 63-0 win at Illinois, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 216 yards total offense, started at defensive tackle in 31-28 win over Nebraska, two solo tackles and one assist vs. Nebraska, along with one pass break-up, started at defensive end in 27-22 Outback Bowl win over #18 Mississippi State and recorded four tackles vs. MSU, including one solo stop and three assists, with a shared tackle for loss.

After going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, Matt Nelson was signed by the Detroit Lions on May 1, 2019.

Nelson was given an exclusive-rights free agent tender by the Lions on March 4, 2021. He signed the one-year contract on April 19.

On March 14, 2023, the Detroit Lions re-signed Nelson.