Darrin Nelson

Darrin Milo Nelson (born January 2, 1959) is a former American football running back and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers. He played college football at Stanford University. Early years Nelson attended Pius X High School. He accepted a football scholarship from Stanford University to play under head coach Bill Walsh. In his first year at Stanford in 1977, he was named the starter and became the first freshman running back in conference history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He registered 183 carries for 1,069 yards, 3 rushing touchdowns, 50 receptions for 524 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. As a sophomore in 1978, he posted 167 carries for 1,061 yards, 6 rushing touchdowns, 50 receptions for 446 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns.