J. J. Nelson

Jamarcus "J. J." Nelson (born April 24, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for The University of Alabama at Birmingham and was drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft by the Cardinals.

Nelson attended Midfield High School, where he was coached by The Birmingham News All-Metro West Coach of the Year Ruben Nelson. He led his team to the state Class 4A quarterfinals after finishing 11-2 during the regular season in 2009, recording 55 catches, 1,049 yards, 214 yards rushing, five interceptions and 19 touchdowns. He was named The Birmingham News Metro-West Player of the Year. He was listed as the No. 27 state prospect on Birmingham News Super Seniors list and was selected to The Birmingham News All-Metro West Offensive Team. He was also named to the ASWA First Team All-State.

Also a track & field star, Nelson was a two-time Class 4A state champion in the 100-meter dash (best of 10.49 seconds). He also captured the 200-meter dash title with a time of 21.76 seconds. In addition, he was a highly regarded basketball player for Midfield, earning team MVP and All-region honors. He was a two-year letterwinner in both track and basketball.

Nelson was named a member of the 2014 College Football All-America Team by the Walter Camp Foundation, USA Today, and CBS Sports as a kick returner. Nelson was also Conference USA special teams player of the year and first-team All-conference as a wide receiver.

At the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, Nelson had the fastest 40-yard dash with a time of 4.28 seconds, 4 hundredths of a second shy of the combine record of 4.24 seconds held by running back Chris Johnson.

On November 22, 2015, in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Nelson scored his first career touchdown with a pass from quarterback Carson Palmer.