William Keith Nelsen was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans before playing professionally for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He was known for his leadership and willingness to play with pain, enduring a series of knee injuries during the course of his career. He later served as an assistant coach with four NFL teams.
Nelsen as a USC player
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team plays their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.
Billy Sims (No. 20) rushing the ball against the Los Angeles Rams on September 7, 1980
The Lions, seen here during the 2007 Thanksgiving game against their division rival Green Bay Packers, have played on Thanksgiving since 1934 with the exception of the years during World War II.
Bobby Layne
Barry Sanders