Coming into the season, he was a receiver with nine catches and no touchdowns to his name.
Five months later, he was on the receiving end of the clenching touchdown in the BCS National Championship Game on Thursday night.
It's safe to say junior David Nelson has made some positive strides in the Gators' offense this season.
When he first came to Gainesville, he expected to play right away, and it took him a while to realize that would not be the case.
"He didn't practice very good, and he didn't play very well," coach Urban Meyer said Friday.
But his work ethic improved dramatically over the last two seasons, and his attitude toward his spot on the team is vastly improved as well. He knows it takes a special talent to get on the field as a freshman.
"You just got to come in here and just do what you can for your team," Nelson said. "Work your way up. Not everybody can be Percy Harvin and play right away."
Two springs ago, after UF defeated Ohio State to win the second football national championship in school history, Nelson went on a cruise, and the ship's passengers confused him with then-quarterback Chris Leak. Most Gators fans would have been hard-pressed to pick him out of a lineup.
"Hopefully I've gotten past that now," Nelson said, laughing. "Hopefully, now that he's been gone for two years, hopefully I've made a name for myself now."
After a 12-catch, five-touchdown 2008 where he led the team in yards per catch (19), Nelson will begin next season as one of the top receivers.
There is no doubt he made a name for himself this season, especially with the touchdown catch Thursday coming on one of Tim Tebow's famous jump passes.
Meyer said deciding which receiver would make that catch while designing the play was a painstaking process, one that took a long time to resolve.
"That was a two-hour discussion about who's going to get that play because you only get one shot at it, and if you cut it short, go too deep, don't sell it, you're wasting a play," Meyer said. "We knew we were going to call it at a critical time."
Nelson was also quick to deflect credit when asked about the touchdown catch. He said any receiver on the team would have been able to make the catch.
But his number was the one offensive coordinator Dan Mullen called. Why did they decide to go with Nelson in the end?
"That's because he's extremely disciplined and practices his tail off," Meyer said.
That catch was five days ago, and Nelson is ready to start preparing for 2009. He said he is going to enjoy the national championship victory for a little while but then work toward successfully defending UF's crown next year.
"This is the most important off-season of my life," Nelson said. "Not only for myself, but to get this team ready to go play next year."
TEBOW UNDERGOES SURGERY: UF quarterback Tim Tebow, who announced he would return for his senior season Sunday afternoon, had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder early Monday morning.
The surgery was to remove a bone spur and reduce chronic inflammation. Tebow aggravated the shoulder earlier this year after injuring it in 2007.
Team physician Pete Indelicato said in a press release that Tebow should be able to throw again in three to four weeks, and the Heisman winner is expected to recover fully from the surgery.
