Tom Nalen
Encyclopedia
Thomas Andrew Nalen (born May 13, 1971 in Foxborough, Massachusetts
) is a former American football
center
who played for the Denver Broncos
of the National Football League
. He was born and raised in Foxborough, Massachusetts
.
offensive lineman for Boston College
, earning numerous honors that included third-team Associated Press
All-America
, second-team All-Big East and first-team ECAC
. He started every game from 1991–1993, serving as the long snapper
, backup center and then starting center for the last three games in 1990. He redshirted in 1989. Nalen closed out his college career with appearances in the East-West Shrine
and Senior Bowl
games. In 1993, Nalen was an All-American honorable mention and All-Big East second-team pick by The Poor Man’s Guide to the NFL Draft. That year, Boston College ranked fourth in the nation in total offense (506.4 yards per game). Nalen’s blocking was a key factor in the university's 41-39 upset win over Notre Dame
in Notre Dame, Indiana
that season.
with the 218th overall pick in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft
and played primarily at center
. He won two Super Bowl
s as a member of the Broncos and played in five Pro Bowl
s. Six different running back
s have had 1,000-yard rushing seasons behind Nalen and the Broncos' offensive line.
During the first quarter of a Broncos home loss against the San Diego Chargers
on October 7, 2007
, Nalen tore his right biceps muscle and was placed on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the 2007 season.
On January 6, 2009, Nalen announced his retirement from professional football after spending his entire career playing for the Denver Broncos. He was the last remaining player from the Broncos' Super Bowl titles in the late 90's.
Foxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
who played for the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was born and raised in Foxborough, Massachusetts
Foxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
.
College career
Nalen was a three-year startingStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
offensive lineman for Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
, earning numerous honors that included third-team Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
, second-team All-Big East and first-team ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
. He started every game from 1991–1993, serving as the long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
, backup center and then starting center for the last three games in 1990. He redshirted in 1989. Nalen closed out his college career with appearances in the East-West Shrine
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
and Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
games. In 1993, Nalen was an All-American honorable mention and All-Big East second-team pick by The Poor Man’s Guide to the NFL Draft. That year, Boston College ranked fourth in the nation in total offense (506.4 yards per game). Nalen’s blocking was a key factor in the university's 41-39 upset win over Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
in Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame is a census-designated place north of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States; it includes the campuses of three colleges: the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and Holy Cross College. Notre Dame is split between Clay and Portage Townships...
that season.
Pro career
Nalen was drafted by the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with the 218th overall pick in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
and played primarily at center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
. He won two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s as a member of the Broncos and played in five Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s. Six different running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s have had 1,000-yard rushing seasons behind Nalen and the Broncos' offensive line.
During the first quarter of a Broncos home loss against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 7, 2007
2007 Denver Broncos season
The 2007 Denver Broncos season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League. A loss to the Houston Texans in Week 15 and a win by the San Diego Chargers the following Sunday knocked them out of playoff contention, marking the second year in a row they failed to make the playoffs...
, Nalen tore his right biceps muscle and was placed on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the 2007 season.
On January 6, 2009, Nalen announced his retirement from professional football after spending his entire career playing for the Denver Broncos. He was the last remaining player from the Broncos' Super Bowl titles in the late 90's.