Despite Competing At Same Positions, Nelson and Loyd Forge a Brotherhood
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
LOS ANGELES — At first, the relationship owed to little more than proximity.
Johnathan Loyd and Charles Nelson were both newcomers to the Oregon football team in 2014, and tasked with playing slot receiver. At practice they were also grouped among the kick returners, although low on the depth chart. So while others shagged punts, they stood in the end zone, the senior from Las Vegas and the freshman from Florida getting to know one another.
From those humble beginnings blossomed one of the closest friendships on the UO football team that will play Thursday in the Rose Bowl. As the Ducks prepared to travel south for the bowl game, they were allowed to choose their own roommates; for Loyd and Nelson, there was no decision to make.
Proximity that once owed to happenstance now owes to brotherhood. Wherever one is, the other usually is close by. Along with sharing a room on road trips, Loyd and Nelson sit next to each other in meetings, and take the field together for warmups on game days. "It was just an easy relationship," said Loyd, the fifth-year senior who spent four seasons with the Oregon basketball team. "He's a cool dude, like my little bro."
The operative word there might be "little." Asked why Loyd and Nelson quickly built such a deep bond, teammates and coaches often mention size. Loyd measures 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds; Nelson isn't quite his twin, coming in five pounds heavier — but the two share an underdog mentality. "I think there's definitely something about small guys sticking together, trying to prove everybody wrong," UO receivers coach Matt Lubick said.
Loyd and Nelson also share relentlessly positive attitudes, Lubick said. And each hates to lose; Nelson sacrificed his body as Oregon's most productive special teams player this season, while Loyd hopes to unseat long snapper Connor Johnson as the king of the ping-pong table in the players' lounge this week. "They're competitive sonsaguns," confirmed Matt Noyer, an intern on the UO staff who works with the offense.
Among areas the two find agreement is in their Friday night routine. The night before games, Nelson and Loyd hole up in their hotel room and watch a movie. "I'm not a very superstitious guy, but when I think about it, it could be one," Loyd said. "Right when we get in the room we're like, 'What movie we watching?'"
Initially, Loyd had a leg up on Nelson with the Ducks. Loyd joined the football team during spring drills, and quickly digested the offense. When Nelson arrived in the summer, Loyd helped mentor him.
Now, the roles have reversed. Nelson is one of Oregon's biggest stars, with 890 all-purpose yards, fourth-most on the team. Loyd, meanwhile, was primarily a backup before taking over punt-return duties in the Civil War — from Nelson.
Nelson still appreciates the early mentoring he received from Loyd. "He's honest," Nelson said. "He's straight-forward with you, will tell you how it is — whether you like it or not."
And Loyd has been happy to see his young friend thrive, even at the expense of playing time for himself. "He's going to be something very, very special," Loyd said. "If there's anybody I want in front of me, it's him."
From the moment Nelson arrived on campus, Loyd saw his potential. The first route Loyd saw Nelson run, "he just zoomed across the field." Loyd wanted to help the freshman digest the offense, so that his speed recognizing play calls and defenses matched his speed running with the football.
Nelson introduced himself to Oregon fans by returning a punt for a touchdown in the season opener. He also led the charge on the Ducks' kickoff coverage team, demonstrating a level of toughness Loyd tried to emulate. "He'll go bang anybody," Loyd said. "That's something I took from him. When I came back to football, I didn't have that mentality yet, but watching him and the way he approached things, I tried to do what he did."
Since then, as the Ducks have seen their receiving corps battle through injuries, Nelson has expanded his role into a featured all-purpose back. He started the Pac-12 title game, after scoring twice against Oregon State.
Loyd, meanwhile, battled for reps that typically came late in blowouts early in the season. After four years away from the game, he was rusty. But after Nelson struggled to field punts in the Civil War, Loyd took over the role, and he started in that spot for the Pac-12 championship game.
"I think he's done a tremendous job in the transition," Nelson said. "Basketball and football are two different sports, and for him to come here and be able to transition as fast as he's done it, he's done a great job."
Earning the responsibility of fielding punts, Loyd said, "means the world. That's the one thing I wanted to do, to prove myself, to let them know I could do this. I had to stick with the process and trust it, and it's worked out for me."
There was plenty of opportunity for tension to arise between Loyd and Nelson, as they battled for reps at slot receiver and punt returner. The competition has had the opposite effect, however, forging a bond of brotherhood that, as the Ducks approach the Rose Bowl, is as tight as any on the team.
