Biography.guide
Home › People › Military officer › Spike Nelson
Portrait of Spike Nelson

Spike Nelson

1906 – 1998

American football player and coach

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Spike Nelson

Lived 1906 – 1998 (aged 92). Spike Nelson was an American military officer and american football coach.

Emerson William "Spike" Nelson (April 2, 1906 – October 20, 1998) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State College, now Mississippi State University, in 1938 and at Yale University in 1941, compiling a career head coaching record of 5–13. He played college football as a tackle at the University of Iowa and was selected as a first-team tackle by the New York Sun on its 1926 College Football All-America Team. He was also selected as a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and Central Press.

Nelson was also an All-American hammer thrower and discus thrower for the Iowa Hawkeyes track and field team, finishing third in the hammer throw at the 1926 NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Head coaching record

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Iowa
Also known as
Emerson William Nelson, Emerson Nelson

People in Spike Nelson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Spike Nelson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Spike Nelson?

American football player and coach (1906–1998)

When was Spike Nelson born?

Spike Nelson was born on 2 April 1906 in Cherokee.

When did Spike Nelson die?

Spike Nelson died on 20 October 1998 in Laguna Hills.

What was Spike Nelson's occupation?

Spike Nelson was a military officer and american football coach.

What nationality was Spike Nelson?

Spike Nelson was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Spike Nelson

· Wikidata: Q7577210

· DBpedia: Spike Nelson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Spike Nelson. https://biography.guide/spike-nelson/

MLA: "Spike Nelson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/spike-nelson/.

Chicago: "Spike Nelson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/spike-nelson/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:01 UTC