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bsn BSN: CU Buffs Nelson Spruce is still under-appreciated

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As Colorado mounts a comeback against the big, bad Bruins of UCLA, a local Los Angeles writer blurts our a snide remark in the pressbox: “You know your secondary is bad when Nelson Spruce is getting separation.”

I scratch my head.

“He gets open on just about everybody,” I say across a few people, feeling the need to defend one of the better receivers I’ve seen at the college level.

“I mean, come on,” spouts back the UCLA guy.

I wonder to myself if this guy knows Nelson Spruce is about to become the all-time leader in receptions in the Pac-12, but I didn’t feel like getting into it, there was no convincing this guy, a catch-22.

Speaking of catches and 22, not long after, Sefo Liufau dropped back to pass and looked to his left, Spruce made a quick stutter move, threw a UCLA corner’s hands off of him, stepped to the middle of the field and made the 259th catch of his career, solidifying himself as the conference’s all-time leader.

“There it is, there’s the record,” Colorado Sports Information Director Dave Plati says, loud enough for the UCLA press box announcer to hear.

“What record?” asks the UCLA writer.

You can’t make this stuff up.

“Nelson Spruce is now the Pac-12’s all-time leader in career receptions,” says the press box PA.

I look over, see the confused look on his face, smile and get back to work.

Now this is not to bash on a guy for not knowing this fact about Nelson Spruce but it is to point out the national perception (or lack thereof) of one of the greatest receivers in Colorado history. Whether it’s because he’s white (yes, that matters), because Colorado hasn’t been very good during his time here, because he isn’t flashy or polarising with his actions or some other reason, Nelson Spruce in under appreciated in college football.

Hell, he’s under-appreciated by CU fans. I mean, we’re talking about a guy who is the all-time leader in yards and receptions at the school, and with his next touchdown he will tie the all-time leader in this category. On paper, Nelson Spruce is the greatest receiver in Colorado history, but a quick look over the popular Colorado message boards shows a total of 39 posts about Spruce setting an extremely relevant record, contrasted with about 5,000,000 complaining about Sefo Liufau and Brian Lindgren.

This is why you can’t have nice things. It seems Colorado fans have become so accustomed to complaining about what’s wrong that they can’t even take a minute to appreciate what’s right.

The four-year starter should be celebrated, his face plastered all over Folsom Field, his name followed by “will you marry me” on signs in the student section. He shouldn’t have to wait in line at “The Buff,” in fact, he shouldn’t have to pay for his food at “The Buff” (don’t care what the NCAA thinks).

Instead, Nelson is seemingly looked at as another guy who capitalised on the Buffaloes being so bad and got numbers the way Cody Hawkins did. As if he didn’t have to get himself open against high-level competition for a large chunk of those 267 catches, 2947 yards and 21 touchdowns, as if he hasn’t made a number of spectacular catches on his way to catching nearly every single ball thrown his way in his four years at Colorado, as if he hasn’t been the world’s greatest security blanket for a quarterback that has had his struggles, as if he doesn’t have the skillset to play this game at the next level.

The senior wideout has four games left in his career as a Colorado Buffalo before he pursues a career in the NFL, just two of those games at Folsom Field. If you get a chance, take an entire offensive possession and watch #22 go to work – watch him run every route with intense purpose, even if he knows he isn’t the first or second option on the play, watch the dedication he gives to blocking in the run game, watch the focus he gives to every ball coming his way, watch an all-time great Colorado receiver do what he does while he’s still in the black and gold.

Nelson Spruce is one of the best receivers in the country, one of the best receivers in Pac-12 history and arguably the best receiver in Colorado history, with just four games remaining in his collegiate career, it’s time he got the recognition he deserves.

Ryan Koenigsberg
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Here here RK!!!! Nelson is amazing and I can't wait to see what he does at the next level.
 
Excellent work, RK.

And again, congrats to Nelson Spruce for his record. That is indeed a big deal for the player and the team.
 
One of the greatest to ever put on B&G. He's done great things here.

Hopefully he'll have 5 more strong games and then get a good shot somewhere in the NFL.
 
Mr. Reliable and a great Buff! Thanks Nelson for giving everything you have to CU and I cannot wait to see you Saturday.
 
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