Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina defensive end Micah Nelson has been named one of 13 national finalists for the 2025 Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, representing The Southern Conference on the award list that honors the top scholar-athlete in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
 
Nelson is among a diverse, talented group of 13 FCS college football players, one representing each of the NCAA FCS conferences. The SoCon has never had a Doris Robinson Award winner in its first 10 years of being handed out. Two players playing within the state of North Carolina, including last year's winner Juan Verlarde (P/PK) and DE Jessie Malit in 2020, both played at North Carolina Central.
 
Nelson received his Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) in Health and Physical Education in May 2024. He is currently pursuing his master's degree in Sport Management, which he is on track to complete this December 2025. As part of his final course in his Capstone requirement, Nelson completed a 200-hour internship through the fall semester, developing a project that he leads.
 
Through his internship, Nelson has a mixture of academics – checking in on freshmen and sophomores within Catamount Athletics, while also working closely with the football academic advisor; student-athlete development, where he led a "Whee Climb" development program for football student-athletes over WCU's Fall Break to discuss how sport develops transferable skills that you can take with you to workplace; and football operations where he has been in support staff and game operations meetings, providing student-athlete perspectives and feedback.
 
On the field, Nelson has seen action over five seasons, originally redshirting out of high school in 2019 and receiving a medical redshirt in 2023, though he was voted first-team preseason All-Southern Conference by the league's head coaches. Ahead of this season, Nelson was a second-team All-SoCon honoree who attended preseason Media Day in Greenville, S.C.
 
Through 50 career games at defensive end – or bandit in the current scheme – Nelson has amassed 142 total tackles, including 61 solo stops and 14.5 for loss with five sacks. He has five passes defended and one fumble recovery as a WCU defensive leader.
 
Along with many of his teammates a year ago, Nelson participated in the team initiatives following the tragedies of Hurricane Helene, helping unload airplanes carrying much-needed supplies at the Asheville and Cullowhee airports during the recovery efforts. He actively participates in the team's local initiatives, opening doors for car riders in the mornings to transport school-age children in the local town of Sylva, and helps with Rockin' Readers, reading to school children and serving as a positive role model.

Nelson has also helped with the team's youth football clinic in Cherokee, N.C., working with and providing a positive role model for the participants.
 
Originally from Murphy, N.C., where he remains an active part of the community, Nelson is a two-time nominee for the National Football Foundation (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy, considered the Academic Heisman in college football. He advanced as a semifinalist for the prestigious honor in 2025. Nelson also earned a spot on the NFF Hampshire Society following the 2024 season.
 
Nelson is a four-time Fall Academic All-SoCon selection, two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree, and has been on the SoCon Academic Honor Roll six times dating back to his freshman season in 2019. He boasted a cumulative grade point average of 3.746 as an undergraduate student.
 
The Doris Robinson Award, first presented in 2015 and in its 11th season, honors FCS student-athletes who exemplify excellence on the field, in the classroom, and across the community. The values embody the leadership and integrity championed by Doris Robinson, a former schoolteacher and the wife of legendary Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson. Doris stood by Eddie's side throughout a career at Grambling that spanned 57 years from 1941 to 1997. They were married for 66 years until Eddie passed in 2007, and Doris died in 2015.
 
The Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award recipient will be announced on Dec. 9, then honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tenn. Also to be presented are the Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year), Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS Freshman Player of the Year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year), and HBCU National Player of the Year Award.
   
Western Carolina (6-5, 5-2 SoCon) wraps up the 2025 regular season this Saturday, Nov. 22, with a road trip to Lexington, Va., to face the VMI Keydets (1-10, 0-7 SoCon) at Foster Stadium. Kickoff of the "Ingles Southern Conference Game of the  Week" is scheduled for Noon, and can be seen through the Nexstar family of stations (check local listings) and simulcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). Audio coverage on four stations and CatamountSports.com through the Catamount Sports Network begins at 11 a.m. with the  Pepsi Tailgate Show ahead of the Noon kickoff.