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SPORTS
THE MESA TRIBUNE | JULY 3, 2022
TheMesaTribune.com @EVTNow /EVTNow
Kyle Nelson impressing colleges as a hidden gem BY ZACH ALVIRA Tribune Sports Editor
K
yle Nelson has become used to flying under the radar in football. He was overlooked by many with former teammate Cooper Ross on the roster last year. Ross helped put Heritage Academy Mesa – an eight-man football program – on the map last year when he signed with Division I BYU. But Nelson didn’t scoff at Ross’ accomplishments on the field and the attention he received. If anything, it made Nelson work even harder to achieve his own goals while he learned from him. “Cooper has just been a great example, I look up to him,” Nelson said. “He would always work hard and do the rep the right way. Learning that from him, his leadership, those are probably the biggest takeaways I have from Cooper. He always worked his hardest and doing his best. “Hopefully I can do that to get myself to the next level as well.” Nelson has taken the summer to compete at college camps. Most recently, he competed at Idaho State, which is currently the only Division I school that has extended a scholarship offer to continue his football career at the next level. He’s also attended camps at BYU, Southern Utah, Utah State and Weber State. At every stop, he showed his ability as a passcatching tight end and explosiveness off the line with his hand in the dirt on defense. Coaches at all five schools were impressed by his abilities. But most wanted to see one thing before pulling the trigger and offering him a scholarship: senior film. “Even though I am from a smaller, eightman school, I can compete with some of the kids at the 5A, 6A level in Arizona and Idaho, Utah, wherever they come from,” Nelson said. “It helped me get confidence. They just want to see senior film. My junior year, I did good. But I’ve been working hard training and making improvement from my junior year. “They’ve seen my workout film, but they want to see it in action, they want to see
next level. As Ross demonstrated, though, it is possible. Ross dominated in the CAA during his four years at Heritage. He helped lead the Heroes to back-toback titles and a third trip as a senior. He was rated a three-star prospect by national recruiting databases and will likely make the transition for defensive tackle with his 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame when he enrolls at BYU after his twoyear church mission. His athleticism shined during his senior year, something Heritage coach Jose Portilla hopes Nelson will do this upcoming fall. PortiHeritage Academy Mesa senior tight end and defensive end lla believes Nelson is more Kyle Nelson hopes to be the next star that comes out of the athletic than ross at 6-foot-5, eight-man football charter school. He has worked hard this 205 pounds. He’s faster and summer to fulfill those goals and is looking forward to a big along with his ability on the season. (Dave Minton/Tribune Staff) football field, is also a standdomination this year. I’m looking forward out volleyball and basketball player for the Heroes. to doing that.” As a three-sport athlete, Nelson presents Playing at the eight-man level presents challenges for players looking to go to the flexibility for colleges, according to Portilla.
Along with football, Nelson also plays basketball and volleyball at Heritage. His athleticism as a three-sport athlete translates to the football field, where his head coach Jose Portilla refers to him as a hybrid tight end. (Dave Minton/Tribune Staff)
“He’s a hybrid tight end,” said Portilla, who played at the University of Arizona and for the Atlanta Falcons. “He can line up outside and he can also come inside and block. He’s very attractive to a lot of different teams because of his athleticism because they can move him to different spots. “The potential is there because his athleticism is off the charts.” Nelson began playing football at a young age in local youth leagues. He was always taller than most kids his age, which often allowed him to shine. As he grew, he began putting in more work in the weight room to fill out his long frame. One of the things he admits to struggling with the most is keeping weight on. Even if he bulks up for the football season, most of that drops in basketball and volleyball due to the amount of conditioning required for both sports. Along with his athleticism, Nelson also excels in the classroom at Heritage, which is known for its high level of academics. Along with his high school diploma, Nelson will graduate next spring with two associate degrees and a high grade point average, making him a candidate to receive academic scholarships alongside an opportunity in football. The ability to challenge himself academically was one of the main reasons Nelson enrolled at Heritage. But he’s always had a dream of playing Division I college football. He just didn’t believe that was possible until this past year. Nelson is determined to turn his dreams into a reality and it will start when Heritage Mesa plays its first game in August. He’s excited for the new season. It’s his last chance to make an impression on Heritage Mesa and prove once again that any athlete at any level of high school ball can play college football. “No matter where you come from, if you’re an athlete coaches will find you,” Nelson said. “You can make a name for yourself no matter where you come from or your background. If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.”
