Thomas Andrew Nalen (born May 13, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a center who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Boston and raised in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Tom Nalen
Tom Nalen
Nalen in 2013
No. 66
Position:Center
Personal information
Born: (1971-05-13) May 13, 1971 (age 52)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:286 lb (130 kg)
Career information
High school:Foxborough (MA)
College:Boston College
NFL draft:1994 / Round: 7 / Pick: 218
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:194
Games started:188
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

College career edit

Nalen was a three-year starting 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 to 1993, serving as 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 Eagles' 41–39 upset win over Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

Professional career edit

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+78 in
(1.90 m)
280 lb
(127 kg)
33+18 in
(0.84 m)
9+12 in
(0.24 m)
5.02 s 1.79 s 2.96 s 4.59 s 28.0 in
(0.71 m)
8 ft 6 in
(2.59 m)
20 reps
All values from NFL Combine[1]

Nalen was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 218th overall pick in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft and played primarily at center.[2] He won two Super Bowls as a member of the Broncos and played in five Pro Bowls. Six different running backs have had 1,000-yard rushing seasons behind Nalen and the Broncos' offensive line.

On January 6, 2009, Nalen retired 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 1990s.

In 2013, Nalen was named to the Broncos Ring of Fame.

References edit

  1. ^ "Tom Nalen, Combine Results, C - Boston College". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  2. ^ "1994 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.

External links edit