Commenter RandBallsStu (Branding!) has returned to delighting you by tracking down a former Minnesota sports figure about whom you might have forgotten. This feature was on hiatus for the popular "Increasingly Lost Season" feature, but now that football is over it's back to your regularly scheduled program. Stu? -------
The Hunt Down
Name: Chuck Nelson Claim to Fame, Minnesota: your Minnesota Vikings placekicker from 1986 through 1988. Was part of the fearsome Nelson/Scribner kicking combo that almost made the Super Bowl but for the hands of Darrin [redacted] Nelson. Claim to Fame, Everywhere Else: the University of Washington product was a college football All-American in 1982, along with future Vikings Herschel Walker (Georgia), Anthony Carter (Michigan) and Darryl Talley (West Virginia). Nelson was taken in the fourth round of the 1983 draft by the Los Angeles Rams, but only lasted one season with the team. I checked, and it doesn't appear that Ted Thompson had anything to do with this botched mid-round pick. I'm as surprised as you are. Where He Is Now: in 2012, Nelson was named the President and CEO of the Washington Athletic Club. This piece on the club's website has a very thorough rundown of his apparently quite successful post-football endeavors. As successful as Benny Ricardo's foray into stand-up comedy? You be the judge. Is He on Twitter: there are a legion of "Chuck Nelson"s on this popular social media platform, none of whom appear to be a former placekicker. Has He Been in a Twitter Feud with Patrick Reusse: no. Glorious Randomness: Nelson and former Viking Rick Fenney both hail from Everett, Washington, as does pop star Kenny Loggins. Unlike Fenney, Nelson has never received a 37-month prison sentence; unlike Loggins, Nelson has never sung the theme song to a major '70s or '80s movie. You win some, you lose some.
