He Helped Win the Giants' First Super Bowl. Then He Fought Cancer Twice.

The Giants tackle helped pave the way to the franchise's first championship — then fought off Hodgkin's disease twice before it forced him into early retirement.

Nov 6, 1988; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Giants offensive lineman Karl Nelson (63) on the sideline against the Dallas Cowboys at Giants Stadium during the 1988 season. | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

The broken foot that derailed New York Giants offensive tackle Karl Nelson's entire rookie season wound up being a small blip on his radar screen compared to the two bouts with Hodgkin’s disease that came later in his career.

The Giants, with Nelson anchoring their offensive line, won Super Bowl XXI — the first of the franchise's four championships and the one being celebrated this fall on its 40th anniversary.

New York was pleased to land the sturdy, 6-foot-6 tackle out of Iowa State in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft.  

He excelled during his final year with the Cyclones, earning an All-Big Eight selection for the second straight season and gaining Academic All-America honors on his way to the East-West Shrine Game.

But a broken right foot suffered before his first pro season left him on the injured reserve list.

Head coach Bill Parcells went into 1984 with high hopes for Nelson as part of a rebuilt line.

The Giants used a first-round pick on left tackle William Roberts, converted backup guard Kevin Belcher to center, moved left tackle Brad Benson to right guard, and inserted Nelson for the injured Gordon King, who was lost for the year after off-season surgery on his left forearm.

The moves meant left guard Billy Ard would be the only returning starter to maintain his position.

Nelson stepped in without much trouble and was named to the All-NFL Rookie team by UPI, Pro Football Weekly and Football Digest.

Over the next two years, he practically became Joe Morris' personal escort on the running back's way to consecutive 1,000-yard seasons as the Giants finished fourth and sixth, respectively, among the NFL's rushing leaders. Nelson started 55 straight games through Super Bowl XXI.

Then, Nelson was hit with his first Hodgkin's diagnosis, prompting him to undergo radiation treatments that sidelined him for the 1987 campaign. Nelson returned to play nine games in 1988, although his season was interrupted by a sprained ankle.

After the Giants (10-6) missed the playoffs, the doctors determined his Hodgkin's disease returned and Nelson underwent chemotherapy into July; however, his body was still in recovery mode. That reality led to his decision to retire in December.

"I'm retiring for a lot of reasons," Nelson told reporters at the time. "My strength is not fully back from the side effects. I've got arthritis in my knee and shoulder. And I don't think I have the push for those five-hour days of football."

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