Getty Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson went viral after a terrific gesture in Houston.
There are things bigger than football. Even after a gut-wrenching tie and less than 24 hours removed from a record-setting contract extension, Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson didn’t need to be reminded of that fact.
After the 20-20 tie against the Houston Texans in Week 1 on September 11, Nelson returned to the field to greet Uvalde High School football players.
Sports anchor Charlie Clifford of WISH-TV reported Nelson signed gear for every Uvalde player. The Colts guard also made himself available for selfies.
The public address announcer at NRG Stadium introduced the Uvalde High School football team during the first half. The team received arguably the loudest standing ovation of the game.
Texans Host Uvalde High School Football Team
The Uvalde team has become a source of strength in southern Texas over the last several months. A mass shooter killed 19 children and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde County on May 24.
It was the deadliest shooting at a Texas public school in history.
To honor the Uvalde community, the Texans invited the town’s high school football team to the Week 1 contest. Uvalde County is about 100 miles west of San Antonio (approximately a 5-hour drive from Houston).
After the game, the Texans hosted the Uvalde players onto the field. Many Colts players and coaches stopped to spend time with the high school team before departing NRG Stadium.
But Nelson may have held up the Indianapolis chartered bus with all the autographs he signed.
Sports writer Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press reported the Texans paid for the Uvalde team’s travel and ticket expenses to attend the game. Uvalde senior linebacker Justyn Rendon shared that it was a very unique experience.
“It means a lot to a lot of these guys just to get away from Uvalde in general and just enjoy being here,” Rendon said. “A lot of these guys may never experience an NFL game like this. So it’s a real big thing.”
Nelson Keeping Things in Perspective
The Colts starting left guard is know for having a fiery personality. In response to his 4-year, $80 million contract extension, Nelson initially said that he “was pretty p*****” about the timing of the deal rather than pleased to become the owner of the richest offensive guard contract in NFL history.
“I was pretty p***** it happened the day before the game … I didn’t want it to go that long, and I just wanted to focus on the game,” Nelson said to the media.
It’s quite possible that Nelson just wasn’t in the best of moods following the tie to the Texans. The Colts offensive line didn’t play extremely well as a unit, and the offense struggled to finish drives, especially early in the first half.
Despite outgaining the Texans, 517-299, the Colts managed only a tie.
But that didn’t impact Nelson’s mood while passing the Uvalde players on the field.
The Texans donated $400,000 to the Robb Elementary School memorial fund after the shooting. The team also wore “Uvalde Strong” decals on their helmets on opening day.
“It’s unbelievable,” Uvalde coach Wade Miller told Rieken. “You live out in a small southwest Texas town, and to know people care about us … it means the world.”