2005: Saw action in 10 games, starting every time ... Named first team Academic All-District by ESPN The Magazine / CoSIDA ... Selected to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll ... Ranked second on the team with 72 tackles, including 61 solo stops, a team-best eight tackles for loss and three sacks ... Also forced two fumbles ... Placed 11th in the nation in solo tackles ... Ranked fifth in the Patriot League in forced fumbles and 13th in total tackles ... Reached double figures in tackles three times, and led the team in tackles three times ... Named the Sports Network National Defensive Player of the Week following the Lehigh game, in addition to earning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors and the Boston Globe Gold Helmet Award ... Totaled 14 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the victory at Lehigh ... Made 13 tackles at Fordham, with two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble ... Posted 10 solo tackles against Harvard, including a tackle for loss ... Had seven tackles against Colgate ... Recorded four tackles and a sack against both Dartmouth and Georgetown.
2004: Named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll ... Played in 10 games on the year, starting once ... Made 22 tackles on the season, including 18 solo stops, two tackles for loss and a sack ... Had a career-high seven solo tackles at Colgate ... Recorded three solo tackles in the win over Marist, including a sack for 11 yards ... Totaled three tackles and a fumble recovery against Bucknell ... Made four tackles in the victory at Dartmouth ... Had three solo tackles at Harvard ... Moved to linebacker from tight end in the spring of 2004.
2003: Selected to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll ... Played in four games as a backup tight end.
High School: A two-sport athlete in baseball and football at Notre Dame High School ... A first team All-East Metro Detroit and first team All-Catholic League selection as a senior ... Named Academic All-State in football in 2002 ... Notched 105 tackles and 153 yards receiving as a senior.
Personal: Brother, Paul, is a freshman tight end for the Crusaders ... Majoring in Mathematics.
Nielsen's Defensive StatisticsYEAR GP-GS UT AT TT SACK TFL INT PBU2003 4-0 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 02004 10-1 18 4 22 1-11 2-12 0-0 02005 10-10 61 11 72 3-9 8-20 0-0 0TOTAL 24-11 79 15 94 4-20 10-32 0-0 0
