<font color="#009900">SPORTABOUT:</font> Before Andra Davis

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February 3, 2010

Anonymous The Suwannee Democrat Wed Feb 03, 2010, 05:04 PM EST

By Tom Daniels

Suwannee is sure proud to have THREE players currently in the NFL. Andra Davis, Kelly Jennings and Bruce Johnson. Before them Jimmy Nelson, Dale McCullers and Del Williams, SHS alumni all, are etched somewhere in pro football's almanac.

As Black History Month unfolds so does the story of another Suwannee player. Edmund Nelson lists his birthplace as Live Oak, Florida. Nelson was born here in April of 1960. His two older brothers went on to careers, one coaching in Tampa for 35 years and another retiring as a Major out of the U.S. military. Edmund's career was one that went unnoticed in his birthplace.

Nelson moved from Live Oak as a youngster, his dad was career military. It was our loss as Edmund not only played in Hillsborough County, he starred there. He won Tampa's Guy Toph award given to the area's outstanding high school football player. He was given a scholarship to Auburn where he excelled and won the Cliff Hare award as their outstanding player. He was also named MVP in the 1982 Blue-Gray game.

After being coached by Chuck Noll in the Senior Bowl, the Steeler coach chose him in the seventh round of the NFL draft. In those days the draft was 12 rounds. He was the 172nd player picked. The first Suwannee County-born black NFL football player. He had an outstanding career for the Steelers, starting 43 games along the defensive line from 1982-1987. He retired as a Patriot in 1988 with stops in Cleveland and New Orleans. His 16 sacks and four fumble recoveries dot his resume.

Like those before him and those that followed he strived to achieve his goal. When not playing golf at Williams Country Club, where he sits on the board of directors, or selling insurance at his State Farm office, Edmund can be found doing the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason games on KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh.

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