Training Camp Sleepers to Watch: Tyler Nielsen

Tyler Nielsen is viewed as one of the best undrafted free agents from the 2012 NFL Draft.

By Mike Nelson

July 25, 2012

Despite his undrafted status, Tyler Nielsen has a legitimate opportunity to make Minnesota’s 2012 roster.

Sports Illustrated projected him as a sixth- or seventh-round draft pick. Yahoo! Sports blogger Doug Farrar named Nielsen as one of the 18 best undrafted players on the defensive side of the ball.

He's a talented player with NFL skills.

Nielsen is a tall (6’3”) linebacker who started all 12 games of his senior season at Iowa and the eight games he was healthy for his junior season.

It sounds as if his style of play will fit right in with the Vikings: He's strong against the run and struggles against the pass.

Don’t look for Nielsen to come near serious playing time in 2012, but given the lack of depth at the position, he should have every opportunity to make the 2012 active roster.

Ex-Hawkeye linebacker Nielsen earns academic nod

MAY 3, 2012

By Seth Roberts

Former Iowa linebacker Tyler Nielsen has been named a member of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame's 2012 Hampshire Honor Society, according to a release.

Eligible players must have been a starter or played a significant role in their final year of eligibility, and they must have achieved a cumulative 3.2 GPA over the course of their undergraduate careers, the release said. The list of 721 players features 232 schools and athletes from all levels of college football, from the Football Bowl Subdivision to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

The National Football Foundation will select the top 16 individuals from that pool of 721 to receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship; the best of the 16 gets an additional $7,000 for his scholarship and a trophy.

Nielsen finished his senior season with 73 tackles — including 4 for a loss and a sack — to go along with a forced fumble and two recoveries. He started all 13 games Iowa played, splitting time between the outside and middle linebacker spots.

The Humboldt native struggled with injuries over the course of his Hawkeye career, although he played through them in 2011. He reportedly didn't struggle at all in the classroom, though; he was named to four-consecutive academic All-Big Ten teams.

Nielsen signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent over the weekend.

Mayock sleeper Nielsen among Vikings’ rookie free agents

By Evan Silva

April 29, 2012

Dan Wiederer of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that the Vikings have agreed to terms with 15 undrafted free agents. The Vikings used ten draft picks on Thursday through Saturday, so in all they’ve brought aboard 25 rookies in less than a week.

The Vikings’ UDFAs:

Boise State defensive tackle Chase Baker, UCLA running back Derrick Coleman, Florida Atlantic defensive end Kevin Cyrille, Nicholls State cornerback Bobby Felder, Bowling Green receiver Kamar Jorden, Penn State defensive end Eric Latimore, Iowa linebacker Tyler Nielsen (pictured), Cal defensive end Ernest Owusu, Hawaii linebacker Corey Paredes, Vikings guard Austin Pasztor, North Carolina defensive tackle Tydreke Powell, Missouri defensive tackle Terrell Resonno, Mississippi State center Quentin Saulsberry, Oregon tackle Darrion Weems, and South Carolina cornerback C.C. Whitlock.

The Iowa linebacker Nielsen stands out as a player who may push hard to crack the Vikings’ final 53-man roster. Nielsen was a special teams dynamo as a freshman and sophomore under Kirk Ferentz, before taking over as a starting outside linebacker for his junior and senior seasons. Nielsen is 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds.

NFL Network’s Mike Mayock pegged Nielsen as sleeper before the draft, suggesting Nielsen could eventually emerge as a starting strong-side linebacker in the league.

Tyler Nielsen named National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete of the Day

March 26, 2012

College Football Hall of Fame coaches Frank Broyles and Darrell Royal appeared at the Champion United to Fight Alzheimer’s Spring Luncheon last week in Dallas. Included in the luncheon panel were former Arkansas players Jerry Jones (an NFF Board Member), Chuck Dicus (a 1999 College Football Hall of Fame inductee), Ken Hatfieldand Bill Montgomery, and former Texas player Tom Campbell, Tommy Stocktonand James Street.

The NFF has two dates on BleacherReport.com’s "The 50 Most Important Days of the College Football Season" list. The two dates are the May 15 announcement of the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame Class and the 55th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 4, where the 2012 Hall of Fame Class will be inducted.

College Football Hall of Famer Herschel Walker (Georgia) recently urged servicemen to take care of their mental health.

NFF Board Member and 2008 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award honoree Bill Battle has been named a Sports Business Champion by Sports Business Journal.

NFF Board Member Jim Nantz has been nominated for a Sports Emmy. A two-time Outstanding Sports Personality – Play-By-Play honoree, Nantz has again been nominated in that category. Nantz will call the NCAA Final Four courtside on March 31 and April 2.

2006 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award honoree College GameDay on ESPN was once again nominated for a Sports Emmy in Outstanding Studio Show – Weekly. Kirk Herbstreit received a Sports Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst” as well.

The documentary film focusing on the Army-Navy rivalry game, A Game of Honor, featuring 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy winner Andrew Rodriguez (Army) and 2011 NFF National Scholar-Athlete John Dowd (Navy), was also nominated for a Sports Emmy under Outstanding Sports Documentary. The film also boasted four other nominations under technical and promotional categories.

2011 Campbell Trophy semifinalist Ben Boothby (Northern Iowa) was named the FCS ADA Scholar-Athlete of the Year last week.

College Football Hall of Famer Bo Jackson (Auburn) will be doing a charity bike ride across Alabama from April 24-28. Find information at BoBikesBama.com.

College Football Hall of Fame coach Lloyd Carr spoke at a fundraiser for Bedford (Mich.) High School last week.

Campbell Trophy semifinalist Tyler Nielsen of Iowa is the NFF's Scholar-Athlete of the Day, presented by Fidelity Investments. Check daily at FootballFoundation.org to see which Campbell Trophy candidate is the Scholar-Athlete of the Day.