Jordy Nelson is headed to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, and his performance in Super Bowl XLV is a big reason why.
The star wide receiver set the Packers Super Bowl record with 140 receiving yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers, helping Green Bay to their latest title. Nelson caught nine passes on the night from Aaron Rodgers, and also added a nice kick return to his stat sheet on the way to the Packers’ 31-25 victory.
As he prepares to be immortalized by the franchise he spent much of his career playing for, Nelson harkened back to that game, one that he was never supposed to play as big of a role as he did in.
“It’s exhausting,” Nelson responded, regarding what his performance in the Super Bowl was like. “But it’s a lot of fun. Again, a very surreal moment. Every kid dream of that, and thinks about it. But I have to be honest, I don’t think I ever thought it would come true. Thinking about getting 20, maybe 30 plays in that game. Limited opportunities.
“Unfortunately Donald [Driver] goes down, and everything changes. I’m going from playing that little bit to playing every play, and took advantage of most of my opportunities, and was able to win a football game.”
Alas, we’re willing to bet Packers faithful wouldn’t change a thing. Nelson became a fan favorite, and it’ due in large part to his historical performance against Pittsburgh.
Continuing, Super Bowl XLV is far from the only thing Nelson is remembered for in Green Bay. Nelson spent 10 of his 11 seasons with the Packers, his final year coming in 2018 with the Oakland Raiders. When Nelson finally hung up his cleats, there was never any doubt of which team he’d be remembered by for playing with.
Over the course of his career, Nelson played in 151 games, amassing 613 receptions, 8,587 receiving yards and 72 receiving touchdowns. He helped the Packers become the best of the best in the NFC over the course of his time spent in Wisconsin, and he remains a fan favorite to the franchise to this day.
Additionally, Nelson holds some important franchise records aside from most receiving yards in a Super Bowl, including having the most receptions in a playoff career (54) and the most games with at least two receiving touchdowns (15).
Jordy Nelson played a pivotal role in the Packers’ recent success, and he deserves to be honored for it. Kudos to Green Bay for doing so, and remembering one of their own as he enjoys a well earned retirement.
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