This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • Two of his teammates have called him "a gritty dude" the past few days. Another referred to him as a "California surfer-type of guy" while a senior defensive back called him a "survivor" and a "mister positive" type of person who never, ever gets down on himself or his teammates.
BYU backup quarterback Riley Nelson has been called a lot of things since he came off the bench in relief of an ineffective Jake Heaps on Friday and led the Cougars to a 27-24 win over Utah State with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes and a mind-boggling 96-yard drive in the final two minutes.
Quitter, slacker, malingerer or malcontent is definitely not one of them. Leader, hard worker and fierce competitor definitely are.
"I believe in him," said linebacker Brandon Ogletree after Nelson's heroics Friday night. "Riley is one of the hardest workers I know. He is gritty, and he is tough. Man, props to him, because he has had a tough road, and he has stayed with it. And it is inspiring. You saw the way the team rallied around him."
How tough is Nelson?
After shoulder surgery cut short his season after three games last year, he came back in 2011 knowing that Heaps was going to be the unquestioned starter. So Nelson volunteered to play special teams. He was a "gunner" on the punt return team until he stepped off the bench and rescued the Cougars against his former team, Utah State.
"He has a very strong self-concept," said coach Bronco Mendenhall. "He is just a football player."
And he finds himself in the middle of another quarterback controversy, thanks to his performance against a USU program that he still says he loves, respects and admires.
Nelson has avoided any and all questions about whether he or Heaps should start against San Jose State on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium (8:15 p.m., ESPNU), but he clearly is enjoying his newfound role after few believed he would ever take meaningful snaps in a BYU uniform again.
"When your teammates pay you a compliment, obviously that's the highest form," he said, "because they are the ones who are in the locker room with you, battling day in and day out. No offense, but when the media pays you a compliment, or a fan, they don't really know everything that is behind it. So you take it with a grain of salt. But it actually means something when it comes from one of your brothers in battle."
And the accolades have poured in, a real sign that he has earned his teammates' respect, something that many believe Heaps is still trying to garner.
"Riley, is just a gritty dude, you know? He is kind of ugly," BYU center Terence Brown said with a laugh. "He is just a guy that plays hard. He is not 6-2, he doesn't have an arm, he can't throw the ball 80 yards. But the dude plays hard, and he plays with his heart."
Nelson credited his father, Keith Nelson, with teaching him to believe in himself and handle adversity head on, like he did Friday after offensive coordinator Brandon Doman sent him into the game with the Cougar offense listing and the team trailing by 11.
"I don't know, man. You are the backup quarterback, not much is expected of you," he said. "So if you go in there and don't play too well, that's kind of what people expect. And if you go in there and play great, all of a sudden you are the greatest thing since sliced bread. That was kind of my approach to it."
Whatever works.
So Nelson is clearly a leader, a popular figure with his teammates, and a gamer. But the question around Provo these days, resurrected by last week's performance, is whether or not he's a bona fide Division I college quarterback. He completed 10 of 14 passes against USU for 144 yards, but he said himself a few of those completions were lucky, including the game-winner to Marcus Mathews that was horribly off-target before being deflected.
If called upon Saturday — and there are strong indications that he will be — can the gritty, envelope-pushing positive thinker deliver when a defense is ready for him?
"He's a guy I would never bet against," said safety Travis Uale.
Twitter: @drewjay —
Riley Nelson's numbers at BYU
Date Opponent Comp-Att-Int Yards TDs Rushing Att-Yards Rushing TDs
Sept. 4, 2010 Washington 11-17-0 131 2 8-45 0
Sept. 11, 2010 Air Force 8-19-0 73 0 20-95 1
Sept. 18, 2010 Florida St. 1-4-1 1 0 3-8 0
Sept. 30, 2011 Utah State 10-14-0 144 2 11-62 0 —
San Jose State at BYU
P Saturday, 8:15 p.m.
TV • ESPNU