Class of 2013: Welcome, Andrew Nelson

Hershey, PA offensive lineman Andrew Nelson was one of Coach Bill O'Brien's first commitments, way back in April of 2012, and has stuck with the Nittany Lions through a lot already.

The 6'5", 260+-pound, four-star lineman chose Penn State over offers from Maryland, Missouri, Northwestern, Pitt, and Temple. He is destined to be an offensive tackle at the next level, but like most lineman, will need to spend a year or two putting on the necessary weight and learning the ropes at Penn State. Larry Johnson was Nelson's lead recruiter out of Hershey, and Mac McWhorter will be his coach once he steps on campus this summer. That's a pretty decent one-two punch for Nelson, who Coach O'Brien specifically mentioned as having the potential to be a "heckuva player" after Signing Day.

However, what sets this young man apart from many of his peers, is not his ability on the football field but the heart and soul that he already possesses. ESPN asked Andrew to write a special article for them, outlining his recruitment and why he chose Penn State. Read it (trust me, if you've established a self-imposed ESPN-ban, you'll want to temporarily break it for this), and you'll understand that the "Penn State Man" is still alive and well.

That he mentions academics first, the coaching staff second, his relationships third, and football never in his list of priorities is part and parcel of what the "Penn State way" is all about, and Andrew should have no trouble living up to that way of life.

Welcome to Penn State, Andrew!

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