If Ryan Nelson was walking down the street, it would not be difficult to spot him. Nelson checks in at 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds and is a powerful offensive lineman — one who starred at Virginia from 2018 to 2021 and now protects the quarterback’s blind side for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League. His hulkish stature may be one of the first things people notice. But, if you look closer, it is Nelson’s tattoos that stand out — details that tell the story of his family and his life.
On Nelson’s left arm, he has his first tattoo, “Romans 12:21” — the Bible verse that says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Nelson discovered that verse when he underwent wrist surgery and his grandmother passed away — both in the same week. Normally, Nelson’s outlet for self-care in the midst of something like grief is working out, but he was unable to do that because of his injured wrist.
“I was kind of just down in the dumps,” Nelson said. “And I found that verse. I was at home, I was looking at these cross necklaces on a pendant, and the first one I grabbed was Romans, 12:21. Dude, it was kind of perfect. So I wore that. [But] I kept breaking them, I went through like, three of them, and I was like, ‘You know what, I'm getting my first tattoo.’”
So he did. It was a statement of personal resilience, pride and family honor. For Nelson, it was a fitting way to carry his late grandmother with him. He honored his other grandmother with a tattoo as well, this one with a pair of wolves.
“My grandmother, from my dad's side, passed away when I was younger, and she collected these wolf plates. So I threw two of them together that I really liked, gave them to my tattoo artist and let him design it, and he came up with this.”
Through his tattoos, Nelson is able to carry his family with him on the football field which certainly helps. After all, Nelson has had to scratch and claw his way to a roster spot in the UFL.
That position of being outside the roster was unfamiliar for Nelson. At Virginia, he had started in 49 consecutive games from 2018 to 2021. He spent time as a left tackle and left guard and was always dependable. Given his success with the Cavaliers, one might assume the NFL would come calling — but it did not.
After his time at the University, Nelson went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was invited to the New York Giants’ rookie minicamp but then got cut. He found a temporary home in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but that lasted for just two months — Nelson got cut again.
He was out of football. Nelson ended up substitute teaching at an elementary school back in his native Buena Park, Calif. For Nelson, that was just fine — and he has tattoos to prove it.
“ I want to make [a tattoo] for when I'm teaching a class, like ‘here's this [tattoo], or here's this [tattoo],’ because that'd be cool. It's a conversation starter, and it looks sick on TV,” Nelson said.
On the inside of Nelson’s bicep, he tattooed a connection to his academic passion. Nelson got a centurion, crusader and samurai to represent his love of history — a subject he majored in at the University. After football, Nelson wants to teach history, just like his brother.
“My brother and I both love history,” Nelson said. We both did kind of what drives us. He's a U.S. History teacher. I want to be a World History teacher. And so we got that matching.”
By that point, Nelson’s tattoo canvas had reached a conclusion. His map, which had coincided with his football career, was reaching an end.
But suddenly, his football career was revived. He got a call from Steve Kazor, general manager of the Panthers, and was offered a roster spot for the 2023 squad. Nelson gladly accepted. In 2023, he appeared in eight games — including two starts. It was a slow but necessary reacclimation to the rough, physical nature of football.
Now, things have gotten better. Nelson started all 10 games of the 2024 regular season at right guard, and in 2025, he claimed Michigan’s starting left tackle spot.
Ever since, Nelson has continued to live out his football dreams — with his family drawn on his arms. But, whenever Nelson decides to hang up his cleats, he will start teaching. And his tattoos will stay as a reminder that life is full of beautiful memories.
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