Chaparral football player gets his due on national signing day

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016 | 10:23 a.m.

Richard Nelson prays each night before going to bed. Lately, those prayers have focused on the uncertainty of his football future.

National signing day was a few days away, and the Chaparral High senior had no scholarship offers, only heavy interest from a few schools. Some coaches offered a preferred walk-on spot, but the 6-foot-1, 205-pound running back knew that would be unlikely because his family couldn’t afford tuition.

Monday, everything changed.

Missouri State called with a scholarship offer and he instantly committed. He didn’t need to take a recruiting visit or talk the offer over with his mother, knowing this would be his best chance to get to the next level. Weber State offered last year, but he didn’t commit, and another recruit took the roster spot.

Nelson often wrote down his thoughts in the days of uncertainty. He was hopeful he’d eventually get his chance.

“If I have an obstacle to overcome, I don’t want a little one,” he wrote. “I want one that is bigger than anything because I have a lot of faith in God. I know I’ll overcome it by keeping God as my refuge and savior.”

Today, he arrived at school before 7 a.m., signing and faxing his national letter of intent to make it official. It was the first and best fax he’s ever sent. Nelson is the first in his immediate family to attend college, and he’s going on a full scholarship.

Nelson led Chaparral with 19 touchdowns in 2015, helping the Cowboys win their first playoff game in more than 20 years and reach the Division I-A state semifinals. He averaged 6.49 yards per carry, caught 15 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns, and had four interceptions on defense.

Most games, he was the best player on the field, using his strong senior season to catch the eye of recruiters. He’s also a state champion sprinter in track and runs a 4.49 40-yard dash. Missouri State coaches have already given him the moniker “Vegas Flash.”

“I tried every game to get Chaparral recognized by college coaches,” he said.

Nelson moved to Las Vegas from Kansas City in seventh grade. He still has family in the area, including cousin Rickey Nichols Jr., who also signed today with Missouri State. Nichols was on his recruiting visit two weeks ago when he encouraged coaches to recruit his cousin.

That sparked the interest and led them to Chaparral coach Paul Nihipali, who had spent months trying to drum up interest.

“We just keep making contact and making more contact (with coaches). We never gave up, but sometimes we got discouraged,” Nihipali said. “There were times when we would sit down to talk and I had no words for him.”

Other recruits nationwide also signed recruits letters today. And, for some, they also are cherishing the once-in-a-lifetime chance to get a free education. At Chaparral, an inner-city school whose athletes are unfamiliar with the recruiting process, Nihipali hopes Nelson’s recruitment paves the way for others.

Recruiters, especially from top programs, rarely visit Chaparral. Yet, Cal-Berkley stopped by multiple times to inquire about Nelson, and an assistant from UNLV was there for three hours this week. It’s the first time a UNLV coach had been at Chaparral since Jeff Horton in the mid-1990s, Nihipali said.

Nihipali hopes others in the program follow Nelson’s lead — and not just signing with a college, doing everything necessary to get there. He raves about how Nelson was a leader on the field and in offseason training but knows today wouldn’t have been possible if Nelson weren't an NCAA qualifier.

He barely met the academic requirements. One of his teammates didn’t.

“Kids in my class are giving Richard high-fives. I’m telling them this could be you next year,” Nihipali said. “We are going to blow this up. Kids at the school will ask, ‘Why not me.’”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21