WVU’s Doug Nester prepares to end college career at Duke’s Mayo Bowl while weighing NFL draft possibilities
By Zippy Zimmerman, RealWV
Many children fantasize of the opportunity to make their dream of playing American football at the next level a reality. In the case of West Virginia Mountaineer Doug Nester, he’s managed to do this, and had quite a crazy ride in achieving that dream.
Nester grew up in Kenova, West Virginia – a small town with a population of just under 3,000 residents. Nester finished out his senior year of football playing at Spring Valley High School, but his journey to playing college football began much earlier than that.
Nester said he began to realize he had a shot at making it to the next level in the eighth grade, when he hit a “huge growth-spurt.” Before then, Nester claimed he’d never seen playing football professionally as a legitimate option in his life. When he hit his growth-spurt, however, his coaches saw the potential. Doors began to open for Nester, ushering in endless possibilities revolving around his future in the world of football.
Nester said he grew up as a Buckeyes fan, so it was a shock to no one when Ohio State University was announced as his first initial commitment. However, Nester continued on to further explore his opportunities by visiting different schools that were also offering him scholarships. Ultimately, this led to his de-commitment from Ohio State, and a new commitment to the Virginia Tech Hokies. This is where Nester earned his first look at being a college student athlete, but it would only last for a year before he would then decide to transfer to a university closer to home. The Location he ended up choosing, as we now all know, was West Virginia University.
Since his transfer to the university, Nester has played a key role in his position of right tackle on the offensive line. He’s one of the more experienced players on the offensive side of the ball, and has played a large part in coaching up the younger members of the offensive line. Nester will wrap up his Mountaineer career in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels, before making a decision on whether or not he will be declaring for the 2024 NFL draft.
When asked if there was anything he would go back and tell a younger version of himself prior to his journey, Nester responded by saying he’d tell himself to “Enjoy the ride more and not stress about things as much.”
He stated the recruitment process is supposed to be fun and he wishes he would have taken a step back to enjoy it more. Nester has been a leader for the past two years on the offensive line, and his presence both on and off the field will be missed by teammates, coaching staff, and fans.
