Keenan Nelson Jr. proving that any player can make an impact on special teams
Keenan Nelson Jr. comes from a background where everything must be earned. That’s how it’s always been for him, especially in football.
Nelson attended St. Joseph’s Prep School in Philadelphia, where he paved his way to become a highly-recruited defensive back.
“He comes from a great high school program where you have to earn everything you get,” said special teams coordinator Pete Lembo. “It’s an all-boys school and a lot of guys play football and there’s great tradition. You don’t just walk in the door and become the man. You might be a senior and you’re still not the man because there’s so many other good players on the team.”
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Even now at South Carolina, it’s still been that way. Nelson played in four games as a true freshman last year and only recorded four tackles.
This year has been a similar story in that Nelson hasn’t seen a ton of time at his natural position. The most snaps he’s been on the field for was 43 against North Carolina in the season opener.
“I’m going to paraphrase Clint Eastwood here but it’s like a man’s got to know his limitations,” Lembo said. “Not everybody is Xavier Legette. And I think Keenan is a guy who knows who he is and knows what he needs to do to be successful. And he’s going to be ready when the opportunity comes.”
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That’s where special teams comes into the picture. When players like Nelson aren’t getting much action, they are sure to find a role with a special teams unit. In some cases, they might just be able to make an impact and be a hero.
For Nelson, he got his chance to do so last Saturday. Early in the fourth quarter, multiple South Carolina players came crashing in on Vanderbilt’s punter, and it was Nelson who got a hand on the ball and blocked the punt.
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As the ball rolled around, he scooped it up and ran the other way for a touchdown. It put the game on ice. The Gamecocks powered their way to a 47-6 win over the Commodores.
“We had come really close in the first half to blocking a couple punts. It was great to see, on multiple levels, that happen,” Lembo said. “But beyond that, it was well-executed by Keenan in terms of his technique and the things that he’s been taught for the last two years…He knew where he was supposed to be and used the right technique.”
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While it probably hasn’t been the type of season Nelson was hoping for with playing more at defensive back. However, making a play like he did on special teams is just as good. And for him, all he wants to do is help the team win, Lembo said.
“You can be rest assured if somebody goes down or a certain personnel group is called upon, he’s going to go out there and try to put his best foot forward,” Lembo said. “And it’s the same thing on special teams. In a given week, he might be a starter on two or maybe three units, maybe a backup on one or two others. But he’s going to take that role seriously and try to execute at a high level.
“So that’s good to see for Keenan but it’s good to see and show to everybody else that this is what can be accomplished if things play out a certain way. That’s how big plays are made.”
