Hall of Fame
One of the greatest two-sport athletes ever to compete at Towson, Tom Nelson '77 was inducted into the Towson Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.
He played four years of football and lacrosse for the Tigers. A linebacker for the Tiger football team, he was a starter for the Tigers’ 1974 team that went undefeated with a perfect 10-0 record.
An All-American attackman for the Tiger lacrosse team, he helped Towson win the 1974 USILA national championship. In 1974, he set a school record by scoring 41 goals. In his four-year career, Tom scored 105 goals, which made him Towson’s career record holder. He is still ranked on Towson’s career scoring list. After his senior season, he was selected to play in the North-South all-star game.
A native of Levittown, N.Y., Tom played club lacrosse for the Maryland Lacrosse Club, helping the team win two national championships. He also played for the Overlea Lacrosse Club and helped Overlea win a national title.
Nelson worked in education in Harford County and with Baltimore City Catholic schools for almost 25 years. He coached football and lacrosse at the high school level for more than 25 years. Nelson was honored as the Harford County Lacrosse Coach of the Year in 1998. He also founded the Harford County Fall Lacrosse League and started the football program at Harford Technical High School.
