2017 Senior Season
Awards: Earned the Ridge Riley Memorial Award at the annual team banquet, sharing the award which represents "sportsmanship, scholarship, leadership and friendship" with Troy Apke.
Season: Appeared in five games with one start...Made his first start of the season at Iowa (9/23)...One of 21 Penn Staters to enter the Fiesta Bowl having already earned a degree.
Pittsburgh (9/9): Made his season debut on the offensive line...Appeared in his first game since suffering an injury against Maryland on Oct. 8, 2016. Georgia State (9/16): Helped the offense to 526 yards of total offense, including Trace McSorley's sixth-career 300-yard passing game (309 yards) and his school-record fourth game with four-or-more touchdown passes...Helped Penn State score eight offensive touchdowns, coming from eight different Penn Staters...Saw Penn State eclipse the 30-point mark for the 10th-straight game, just the fifth streak of 10-or-more games in Big Ten history. at Iowa (9/23): Helped Penn State to a season-high 579 yards of total offense on 99 offensive plays...Paved the way for Saquon Barkley's career-high 211 rushing yards and 94 receiving yards, which helped Barkley to a school-record 358 all-purpose yards...Blocked for Trace McSorley's 284-yard passing effort. Nebraska (11/18): Appeared on offense. at Maryland (11/25): Took snaps on offense.
2016 Junior Season
Awards: Named Academic All-Big Ten for the third time.
Season: Started six games...Was injured vs. Maryland (10/8) and missed the final eight games.
Kent State (9/3): Helped pave the way for Saquon Barkley’s 105-yard rushing effort and protected Trace McSorley, who posted his first career 200-yard passing game. at Pitt (9/10): Part of an offensive line that cleared the way for Saquon Barkley’s four rushing touchdowns...Blocked for Trace McSorley’s 332 passing yards, which ranks tied for No. 16 in Penn State single-game history. Temple (9/17): Part of a line that didn’t allow a sack...Paved the way for three rushing touchdowns...Protected Trace McSorley in his third career 200-yard passing effort. at Michigan (9/24): Helped Saquon Barkley move into the top-30 on the career rushing list...Protected Trace McSorley, who threw a touchdown pass in his fifth straight game. Minnesota (10/1): Helped Penn State to 471 yards of total offense, the most since racking up an identical total vs. Rutgers in 2015...Protected Trace McSorley to the tune of 408 yards of total offense (335 passing, 73 rushing), the third-highest total in school history. Maryland (10/8): Paved the way for 372 total rushing yards, the third-highest total for a Penn State team in Big Ten play and fourth-most in any game for Penn State in the last 20 years...Guided the offense to 524 total yards, the most since 2014 vs. UCF (511) and the most in Big Ten play since 2012 vs. Indiana (546).
2015 Sophomore Season
Awards: Named Academic All-Big Ten for the second time in his career.
Season: Appeared in nine games with eight starts, missing four games due to injury...Started games at left and right tackle.
at Temple (9/5): Helped Akeel Lynch run for 78 yards and one touchdown. Buffalo (9/12): Started at left tackle. Indiana (10/10): Returned to the lineup after missing three games...Started at right tackle...Protected Christian Hackenberg during his 17th career 200-yard passing game (262 yards), which allowed him to become the second quarterback in Penn State history to amass 7,000 yards passing in a career...Helped Penn State control the ball for 35:35, its most in a Big Ten game since having 36:29 against Purdue in 2013. at Ohio State (10/17): Helped pave the way for Saquon Barkley’s 194 yards rushing, the third-highest total by a true freshman...Protected Christian Hackenberg who threw for 120 yards and one touchdown. vs. Maryland (10/24): Protected Christian Hackenberg to the tune of 315 yards and three touchdown passes...Helped the offense pile up 363 yards of total offense...The offense posted nine pass plays of 20-plus yards, including all three touchdown passes. Michigan (11/21): Helped protect Christian Hackenberg, who threw his school-record-tying 46th career touchdown pass...Blocked for Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 68 yards, including a 56-yard scamper. at Michigan State (11/28): Blocked for Saquon Barkley’s fifth 100-yard rushing effort of the season...Barkley broke the Penn State freshman season rushing record and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the season...Protected Christian Hackenberg for his school-record extending 21st career 200-yard passing effort...Hackenberg also tossed two touchdown passes to take over the top spot on PSU’s career passing touchdowns list with his 47th and 48th career scoring strikes, breaking a tie with Matt McGloin (46; 2009-12).
2014 Redshirt Freshman Season
Awards: Named second-team Freshman All-America by Athlon Sports and Scout, and honorable-mention Freshman All-America by College Football News...Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection by BTN.com, ESPN.com and 247Sports...Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the first time.
Season: Started all 13 games during his first season on the field, including 11 starts at right tackle and two starts at left tackle...Instrumental in protecting quarterback Christian Hackenberg in the passing game and blocking for the trio of successful running backs: Bill Belton, Akeel Lynch and Zach Zwinak...Helped Hackenberg amass 2,977 yards and 12 touchdowns, including six 200-yard passing games.
UCF (8/30): Made his first career start in his first career game in the Croke Park Classic in Dublin, Ireland...Helped the Nittany Lions gain 511 yards of total offense, including a school-record 454 yards passing by Christian Hackenberg. Akron (9/6): Helped the Nittany Lions total 425 yards of total offense, including 319 yards passing by Christian Hackenberg, who broke the school record with 773 yards passing in consecutive games. at Rutgers (9/13): Protected Christian Hackenberg, which allowed him to throw for 309 yards in the 13-10 come-from-behind win. Northwestern (9/27): Part of the O-Line unit that helped Christian Hackenberg log his fourth 200-yard passing game of the season as he threw for 216 yards. Ohio State (10/25): Blocked for Christian Hackenberg, who completed 31 passes for 224 yards, helping the Nittany Lions take the No. 13 Buckeyes to double-overtime. Maryland (11/1): Made the start at left tackle...Paced the Nittany Lions to five scoring drives. at Indiana (11/8): Made the start at left tackle...Opened holes for Belton’s 137-yard rushing effort, including a 92-yard touchdown run, the longest rushing touchdown in school history by one player. Temple (11/15): Returned to his right tackle spot...Helped Penn State rush for a season-high 254 yards, including 130 yards from Lynch and 92 yards from Belton. at Illinois (11/22): Led the way for Lynch, helping him gain a career-best 137 rushing yards, including a rushing score. Vs. Boston College (12/27): Helped Penn State’s offense gain 453 total yards, including 371 yards through the air...Instrumental in helping Christian Hackenberg break or tie nine Penn State bowl records with his 34-of-50, 371-yard, four-touchdown performance.
2013 True Freshman Season
Redshirt season...Earned Dean's List accolades in the 2013 fall semester.
High School
A three-year letterman at Hershey High School, playing for head coach Mark Painter...A third-team all-state selection during his senior season...Was invited to play in the Big 33 Classic and the Chesapeake Bowl...Was a Top 30 prospect on the offensive line and was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN and earned a three-star ranking from Rivals and Scout...Lettered in track and field, wrestling and volleyball.
Personal
Full name is David Andrew Nelson...Son of Dave and Dawn Nelson...Has two sisters, Kate and Brooke...Five of his family members have attended Penn State, including his father and his sister, Brooke...Enjoys hunting and fishing...Graduated in May with a degree in kinesiology...Working on a second degree in nutritional sciences...Wants to pursue a career as a physical therapist...Born January 5, 1995 in Baltimore, Maryland.