INDIANAPOLIS COLTS SELECT RBC'S QUENTON NELSON NO. 6 OVERALL

It was a moment that reverberated from the fields around Holmdel to the halls of Red Bank Catholic, all the way to the hallowed turf inside Notre Dame Stadium. That was the path Quenton Nelson walked on his way to the NFL Draft, dominating at each stop during the journey. On Thursday night, he learned his football odyssey would be taking him just down the road to Indianapolis, with the Colts selecting the 6-5, 325-pound guard with the sixth pick in the first round to protect oft-injured franchise quarterback Andrew Luck. And if history is any indication, Nelson, an All-American in high school and college, will have a profound impact in the trenches at the sport’s highest level, with Nelson tabbed by some observers as the best guard propect in several decades. ``He's nasty, he's tough, he's everything we want to be as a team,'' said Colts general manager Chris Ballard. Luck missed the entire 2017 season and part of the 2016 campaign with a shoulder injury, with the Colts finishing 31st in the league in total offense last season. Colts head coach Frank Reich indicated he was impressed with Nelson's instincts and athletic ability when pulling on running plays. ``I would say that I’m a very nasty offensive lineman,'' said Nelson on a conference call with the Indianapolis media. ` ``I want to protect one of the best quarterbacks in the game and establish a great running game.'' The quarterback-heavy first-round got underway with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announcing that the Cleveland Browns had made Oklahoma signal caller Baker Mayfield the No. 1 pick overall. And at 8:47 p.m., Nelson was the first offensive lineman to come off draft boards around the league. Nelson, opted not to attend the festivities at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, opting instead to share the moment with family, friends and teammates outside South Bend, Ind. It was an incredibly significant evening for Jersey Shore football, as well. Nelson’s selection was the fastest a former Shore Conference player has ever heard their name called in the first round. Middletown South grad Knowshon Moreno was selected No. 12 overall in 2009 by Denver. Moreno played six season in the NFL, rushing for over 1,038 yards in 2013 when the Broncos played in Super Bowl XLVII at MetLife Stadium. He’s only the sixth athlete from Monmouth and Ocean counties selected with one of the coveted first round picks, joining Moreno, Middletown South’s Jason Peter, taken No. 14 by Carolina in 1998, Brick’s Art Thoms, who went 22nd overall to Oakland in 1969, Matawan’s Jim Jeffcoat, taken with the 23rd pick by Dallas in 1982, and Red Bank Catholic’s Donald Brown, who Indianapolis took with the 27th selection in 2009. It’s the third time a Holmdel resident has been selected in the NFL Draft. John Cannon, a defensive end out of William & Mary, was selected in the third round by Tampa Bay in 1982, going on to play nine seasons with the Bucs. Tight end John Burke was drafted by New England in the fourth round in 1994, playing for the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Both Cannon and Burke played at Holmdel High School. Nelson’s career path has been pointing towards this moment for a long time. After playing at Holmdel High School as a freshman, Nelson transferred to Red Bank Catholic, where he was a two-time first-team All-Shore selection along the offensive line, playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio Texas, as a senior. Nelson cracked the starting lineup at left guard at the start of his sophomore season at Notre Dame and became an anchor for the Fighting Irish’s front five, developing a reputation as a devastating finisher on blocks en route to a first-team All-American selection. In case you're wondering, the sixth pick last year was safety Jamal Adams, who signed a four-year, $23-million deal with the Jets, which included a $14.3-million signing bonus. And on Thursday night, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck breathed a sigh of relief.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS SELECT RBC'S QUENTON NELSON NO. 6 OVERALL

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app.com | 4/30/2018