A Minnesota-born football player who was involved in a near-fatal beating of a Mankato man is back in the game.
Phil Nelson is one of three quarterbacks on the roster of the San Diego Fleet, one of eight teams in the new Alliance of American Football.
The team opens its preseason on Saturday against the San Antonio Commanders.
Nelson pleaded guilty to a fifth degree misdemeanor in a 2014 fight that left a man with permanent brain damage, and he later settled a civil suit with the man's family.
This came after Nelson left the University of Minnesota for Rutgers, who dropped him from their team.
Nelson finished his college career at East Carolina, earning the starting quarterback job after walking on for the 2016 season.
A three-star recruit out of Mankato West High School and winner of the 2011 Minnesota Mr. Football award, Nelson became the Gophers' starting quarterback in 2012 as a freshman.
Nelson wound up splitting time at quarterback with Mitch Leidner during his sophomore season with the Gophers.
In January of 2014, he announced plans to transfer to Rutgers. The fight in which Isaac Kolstad was hurt happened four months later.
Kolstad was kicked in the head by Nelson during the brawl, and needed speech therapy three times a week during his recovery.
Nelson received no jail time but was sentenced to 100 hours of community service following a guilty plea for fifth degree misdemeanor assault.
A second person who admitted to punching Kolstad pleaded guilty to assault charges related to the fight and served several months in jail.
Before joining the new league, Nelson signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL but was cut before the 2018 season began.
He was picked by San Diego in the AAF quarterback draft, and was included on the team's roster announced on Jan. 30.
