Jordy Nelson retires with Packers, reflects on 11-year career: 'You get the opportunity, make the most of it'



GREEN BAY -- Jordy Nelson on Tuesday, Aug. 6 addressed the media as he officially retired as a Green Bay Packers player, reflecting on his 11-year career in Green Bay

Jordy Nelson addressed the media on Tuesday to reflect on his 11-year career.

According to Packers.com, over 10 years with the Packers (2008-17), Nelson caught 550 passes (ranking third) for 7,848 yards (fifth) and 69 touchdowns (second), with 25 100-yard games (third). His 1,519 receiving yards in 2014 still stands as the team’s single-season mark, though Davante Adams closed in on it last year, and he’s the only player in Packers history with 13 or more TDs in three separate seasons.



After coming to Green Bay as a second-round draft pick from Kansas State in 2008, he became one of the most beloved Green Bay Packers players ever.



"I'll be remembered as a Packer," said Nelson in Green Bay on Tuesday. "Obviously, I enjoyed my year last year in Oakland, but this is where I started, and it's great to come back and end it that way. I think some of the favorites -- I think you obviously start with the Super Bowl. To be able to be there, and have that opportunity to score a touchdown there, to have that football and everything -- my son turned 1 that week of the Super Bowl, and I still remember being on the field with him and my wife. One thing I always tried to do was never have to be told a second time, I mean, if it was, if Aaron was talking to Donald or Greg or those guys, I wanted to be able to learn, if it was from their mistakes, or what they did well, so he didn't have to tell me a couple of years later, so you were always growing. Like I said, I kept it simple -- just did what I was told to do, and what I was taught, so I've had a lot of people ask what the secret is. How do we get faster? How do you get, whatever, and it's just, work, and pay attention, and do what you are asked, I guess. My last year here wasn't the greatest, so I wanted to do it one more time and see what can happen, and it was a good year, and we were satisfied with everything. The body was doing OK. It was getting harder and harder to get ready for Sundays, but I think when it came down to it, we didn't want to move them everywhere and go through that again, and so we just decided to go home. I think even going into season, I never had expectations. I never set goals of, let's try and get 100 catches, and 1,000 yards, and 10 TDs. I never did that. There is so much in this game that is unpredictable, that you can't control. My thing, and a lot of our coaches preached that, to control what you can control, and that's your effort, your attitude, and when you get the opportunity, and we said in that room all the time, you get the opportunity, make the most of it. Football is football, and I think I had my time. I think I played 11 years -- five in college, four in high school, and two in middle school, so I've had enough of that."



According to Packers.com, as Nelson gets settled again back in Kansas, he's working on building a house and helping his brother on the farm. Other than that, he has no immediate plans in retirement. It was important, though, to come back to Green Bay to end things where they started.