Former Hawkeye lineman Matt Nelson had an interesting path to the NFL. During his five seasons in Iowa City, Nelson was a force for the Iowa defensive line.
During his five seasons with the Hawkeyes (2014-2018), Nelson accumulated 110 total tackles (53 solo, 57 assisted), including 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He also added nine pass breakups and three fumble recoveries.
Nelson went undrafted in 2019, but signed with the Detroit Lions as a free agent. Even though he was primarily a defensive lineman at Iowa, Nelson was able to stick with the Lions as a reserve offensive lineman.