Athlete of the Week: Ainsworth’s Carter Nelson
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Ainsworth’s Carter Nelson has been a varsity regular since his freshman year.
Nelson is a multi-sport athlete participating in football, basketball and track.
Thoughout high school, the upcoming University of Nebraska-Lincoln freshman collected over 5,800 total yards, scored 103 touchdowns and made 201 tackles.
He averaged 13 points, four assists, and eight rebounds on the hardwood, and he’s a two-time state champion in track and field.
“As much as I think I’m may have done for the town or something, they have done so much more for me,” said Nelson. “Just to be able to give back a little bit is what’s important.”
As a sophomore, he won the class D state high jump.
Two years later, he took home the gold again, this time in class C long jump – an event he was trying out for the first time in his career.
“I kind of did it as a way to show I can do something else, and then also to maybe take a little stress off, compared to what would be in high jump,” said Nelson. “It’s definitely awesome that the work my coach and I put in paid off for this season.”
Nelson says playing multiple sports has helped him with control.
“I would not have football without track or basketball,” said Nelson. “When I first started getting recruited, our team was not succeeding in football, and track is what started it for me. And then, so when our team got better, it just blew up. And I would not have been able to do that without the other sports.”
His talents on the football field caught the eye of many elite football programs around the nation, including Alabama, Auburn and Georgia.
However, it was his home state Huskers that landed the then top 100 recruit.
The 6 ft. 5 in. freshman will suit up for the Husker football team this fall. As for track and field?
“It’s crossed my mind,” said Nelson. “So maybe I’ll reach out to the coaches or something and see if they’d be interested.”
Nelson says he needs a little more work before he thinks about trying out for the Husker baseball team.
“I’d have to fix my jumper quite a bit if I wanted to do that,” joked Nelson.
