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BEARS SENIOR WRITER
Monday,
Jan 28, 2019 03:30 PM
ORLANDO – Indianapolis Colts left guard
Quenton Nelson may not have capped his rookie season by playing in Sunday’s Pro
Bowl if it weren’t for Bears offensive line coach Harry Hiestand.
As Nelson’s position coach at Notre Dame,
Hiestand helped the 6-5, 330-pounder develop into not only a top NFL prospect
but a generational talent according to some scouts.
“He’s
the best coach I’ve ever had,” Nelson told ChicagoBears.com during Pro Bowl
festivities in Orlando. “I really appreciate everything that he’s done for me.
I wouldn’t be in the situation I am without him, and the Bears are lucky to
have him.”
Nelson was a three-year starter at Notre
Dame, where he was a unanimous All-American selection as a junior in 2017.
After being chosen by the Colts with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NFL
Draft, Nelson was named first-team All-Pro and voted to the Pro Bowl as a
rookie after starting all 16 games.
Hiestand began coaching Nelson in 2014 when
the New Jersey native redshirted as a freshman.
“He
was the biggest part to my career,” Nelson said. “When I got to Notre Dame, I
wasn’t the best football player by any means. I wasn’t very good, and he just
helped me improve every single day. He brought that energy and the attitude
every day that we’re going to improve. In the meeting rooms he was very
intense, [with an] attention to detail when we were watching film on how I
could improve and get my technique better, and then on the field.”
Nelson
described Hiestand as a “great coach and a great teacher.”
“Him
caring about his players would probably be his greatest strength,” Nelson said.
“I feel like you want to play your best game for him because of how much he
cares about you as a player and as a person.”
