Nate Solder

Nathaniel Perry Solder (born April 12, 1988) is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Colorado, and was recognized as an All-American. He was drafted by the Patriots in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Early years

Solder was born in Denver, Colorado. He attended Buena Vista High School in Buena Vista, Colorado, where he played tight end for the Buena Vista Demons high school football team.^[1]

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Nate Solder TE	Buena Vista, Colorado	Buena Vista High School	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	4.9	Nov 25, 2005
	Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: --   Rivals: 35 (CO)
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2005 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2012-04-02.

College career

In the spring of 2006 Solder signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Colorado, where he played for the Colorado Buffaloes football team from 2006 to 2010. Recruited as a tight end, Solder red-shirted in 2006. In 2007 he played at tight end, catching three passes for 50 yards. As a red-shirt sophomore, Solder was asked to bulk up and shift from tight end to tackle: he quickly won a spot in the starting offensive line, a position he would keep for the rest of his Colorado career, starting every game over the next three seasons. In his junior season: he again started every game, and was named a fourth-team All-American by College Football Insiders.^[2] Solder came to Colorado as a redshirt freshman in 2006 as a 6'7", 230-pound tight end; by 2009, he was listed as 6'9", 305 pounds.

Solder was one of three finalists for the 2010 Outland Trophy, along with Gabe Carimi and Rodney Hudson; Carimi won.^[3] Jon Gruden of ESPN said that Solder "has a huge upside. But remember he's a converted tight end and a work in progress."

Following Christmas 2009, he traveled to Guatemala and volunteered at an orphanage; as a sophomore, he went to Italy during the summer to help rebuild a town after it suffered many collapses from an earthquake. At CU, he regularly participated in the "Read with the Buffs" and "Buffalo Hugs" programs.

Professional career

The New England Patriots made Solder the second offensive tackle chosen in the 2011 NFL Draft (after Tyron Smith) when they drafted him 17th overall, with the pick they received from the Oakland Raiders in a 2009 trade for Richard Seymour.^[5] Solder had a private workout with Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia just a few days before the draft.

Solder signed a contract on August 4, 2011; per the new CBA, it was a four-year deal worth $8.54 million including a $4.7 million signing bonus.^[6] Solder played his first regular season game against the Miami Dolphins on September 12, 2011; he allowed just one sack against Pro Bowler Cameron Wake.

2011 season

Solder was on the active roster for all of the Patriots' games, and started 13 of 16 regular-season games. In some of those games he filled in for right tackle Sebastian Vollmer; when both Vollmer and left tackle Matt Light were healthy, he was used primarily as an additional tight end (making him a tackle eligible). During the regular season, Nate Solder allowed just three sacks, four pressures and 5 penalties on 880 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

2012 season

In 2012, after Light's retirement, Solder became the Patriots' starting left tackle. He started every game of the season, and played 1,234 snaps on offense, the highest of any offensive player in the NFL. Counting special teams, he played 1,339 snaps, second only to fellow Patriots lineman Ryan Wendell.^[8]

2014 season

In the AFC Championship Game, Solder caught his first career pass, resulting in a 16-yard touchdown. Despite an up and down regular season, Solder had an excellent postseason and won his first Super Bowl with the Patriots.

In April 2015 Solder revealed that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer after his annual team physical.^[9] Doctors removed the affected testicle, and, after missing a few weeks of offseason activities, Solder went on to start every game for the Patriots in the 2014 season. He is one of two Patriots linemen to have battled cancer: fellow 2011 Patriots draftee Marcus Cannon was diagnosed with lymphoma prior to his being drafted.^[10]

2015 season

After the 2013 season, the Patriots exercised their fifth-year option on Solder. On September 9, 2015, the Patriots gave Solder a two-year extension, through the 2017 season adding about $20 million in new money, A clause in the extension prohibits the Patriots from using the franchise tag on Solder in 2018.^[11] Before the 2015 season, Solder was voted a captain by his teammates for the first time in his career.

In a Week 5 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, Solder left the game with what was initially described as an elbow injury. It was later determined that he tore his right bicep; Solder was subsequently placed on season-ending injured reserve on October 14.^[12]

NFL career statistics

References

External links

• Colorado Buffaloes bio
• New England Patriots bio