Tom Nalen
Thomas Andrew Nalen is an American college football coach and former professional football center who is the assistant offensive line coach for the MIT Engineers. He played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League for his entire professional career. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles and was selected by the Broncos in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL draft. He was born in Boston and grew up in Foxborough, Massachusetts southwest of Boston.
College career
Nalen was a three-year starting offensive lineman for Boston College, earning numerous honors that included third-team Associated Press All-America, second-team All-Big East and first-team ECAC. He redshirted in 1989, before serving as backup center and then starting center for the last three games in 1990. He started every game from 1991 to 1993. Nalen closed out his college career with appearances in the East–West Shrine and Senior Bowl games. In 1993, Nalen was an All-American honorable mention and All-Big East second-team pick by The Poor Man’s Guide to the NFL Draft. That year, Boston College ranked fourth in the nation in total offense. Nalen's blocking was a key factor in the Eagles' 41–39 upset win over Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. In 2009, Nalen was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame.Professional career
Nalen was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 218th overall pick in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL draft and played primarily at center. He won two Super Bowls as a member of the Broncos and played in five Pro Bowls. Six different running backs have had 1,000-yard rushing seasons behind Nalen and the Broncos' offensive line.On January 6, 2009, Nalen retired from professional football after spending his entire career playing for the Denver Broncos. He was the last remaining player from the Broncos' Super Bowl titles in the late 1990s.
In 2013, Nalen was named to the Broncos Ring of Fame.