Liberty’s John Nelson a quick learner

Typical is the last word you would use to describe John Nelson.

Instead of spending his youth playing on area football teams, the Liberty High School senior two-way lineman first set foot on a field just last season.

“It’s the first year I had ever played,” said Nelson. “I guess I really wanted the challenge, so I picked football.”

Nelson has more than proven to be up to the challenge, something his coach saw from the beginning.

“He’s a very big kid, and with his work ethic, I was pretty confident that he would be a good player before he was done, but I knew he would be a work in progress when he came out,” said Lancer coach Rick Johnson.

“It took him about this time last year to just figure things out a little bit, of what football’s all about. He’s a very, very hard worker.

“He had to figure out the offense and the defense, but he’s definitely evolved into a pretty good player.”

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound offensive left tackle and nose guard is not only an anchor in the trenches for the Lancers but a leader on and off the field, as he was elected one of the team’s captains for this season.

“It’s really different,” said Nelson. “Last year, being my first year, I really looked up to those captains.

“All of sudden, I’m put in that spot the next year. It’s really humbling that they believed in me enough to vote me into a captain’s spot.

“I’m thankful for that every day. I’ve just got to keep my captain’s duties and make sure everybody’s doing fine and doing their best.”

“He’s changed a lot,” Johnson said of his soft-spoken captain. “He’s still not the most vocal kid in the world, but he does take leadership, and he’s been more the vocal type leader as time goes on and he’s gotten older.

“His main leadership style is leading by example. He’s one of those kids that does anything you ask of him. He gives you the very best of his ability all of the time.

“He’s been extremely valuable for us. Not only in his playing, but being a leader every day. The kids always see him working extremely hard and being a good example. They can see how hard he works and how much he wants to improve and succeed.

“He’ll be in the weight room and he’ll take the younger kids under his wing and work out with them and encourage them. The kids notice his leadership by example and they follow that.”

Being a leader isn’t the only adjustment Nelson has had to endure in his high school days though, as he didn’t go to public school until entering Liberty.

“I was home schooled up until high school, so I’ve been at Liberty for four years,” Nelson said. “Just the schedule took getting used to.

“Being home schooled, I would get chores done and work around school. It was kind of different sitting down in a classroom. The people here were really nice.

“I fell right into school and got to know everybody. Sports were incredible. They still are. They’re probably the greatest things I’ve done in school so far. I’ve got to know a lot more people and do a lot of cool stuff.”

The modest lineman deflects any praise sent his way and credits his teammates for any success he enjoys.

“I play with 10 other great guys and we just keep going,” said Nelson. “I keep them going and we look out for each other and keep each other going. That’s all there is to it.

“We keep fired up and stay positive.”

Liberty (1-4 the Northeast 2B League and 4-4 overall) finishes the season at Lind-Ritzville (4-1, 6-2) Friday.