After passing for 4,254 yards and combining for 46 touchdowns in just over two seasons, junior quarterback Jake Nelson left the Central football team Monday Sept. 28.

Nelson’s departure came just two days after his return from a concussion suffered Sept. 10 on the road, against Dixie State.

Head coach Ian Shoemaker said Nelson came to talk to him about leaving in the afternoon. Nelson  told him that football wasn’t what he wanted to do anymore and he was leaving for personal reasons.  When contacted, Nelson declined to comment.

“We told him we’d love to have him here,” Shoemaker said.

While junior quarterback Justin Lane appeared to be more efficient and did a better job avoiding turnovers, Nelson seemed to have more upside for the big play.

That was evident in Nelson’s first two passes of the Wildcat’s Sept. 26 win against Simon Fraser. Nelson’s first two passes of the game went for 80 and 44 yards respectively. One for a touchdown and the other put the Wildcats on the one-yard line, which led to another score.

The Wildcats scored three touchdowns on their first four offensive plays.

Nelson would go on to complete just two of his next eight passes for 12 yards and an interception. Lane would go 11 of 17 with 166 yards and two touchdowns.

“I’ll have to grade the film to know who separated themselves, or if they did, or if we will be kind of using two guys,” Shoemaker said after Saturday’s home game.

In three games played, Nelson threw for 470 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions with completion rate of 45.9 percent. Comparatively, in three games, Lane threw for 398 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions with a completion percentage of 62.7.  

Those numbers may be a bit misleading though, because Nelson faced defending NCAA division II National Champions, Colorado State-Pueblo on the road in a game Lane didn’t play in. Comparatively, Lane faced Western Oregon, a 6-5 team a year ago, that is off to a 1-3 start to this season in Nelson’s missed game.

“We have two good quarterbacks that can win games for us,” junior wide receiver Jesse Zalk said before Nelson’s departure.

The two had been in a similar situation before. Nelson replaced Lane in the second game of the 2013 season and held the starting spot until his recent injury.

Both quarterbacks are similar in stature, but they describe their games differently. Nelson highlighted his ability to run and throw the deep ball, while Lane considers himself more of a scanner that sits in the pocket.

Shoemaker said the team’s plan had still been to go with two quarterbacks coming into this week, and there was a feeling of shock around the team when they heard Nelson’s decision.

“Obviously it’s going to cause a distraction at some level,” Shoemaker said.

The Wildcats will now prepare with Lane at the helm and redshirt freshman Dillon Sugg backing him up.

With Nelson staying silent about his decision, one can only speculate where Nelson’s path will lead him from here.

According to Central’s financial aid agreement for athletic scholarships,“the amount of this aid may be immediately reduced or canceled during the term,” when withdrawing from a sport for personal reasons.

In high school Nelson also excelled in baseball. The Boston Red Sox drafted him in the 26th round of the 2012 MLB draft before he started attending Central and focusing on football. He would be a big addition for the baseball team if he decides to go that route.

When contacted, Central’s baseball office hadn’t heard from Nelson about joining the team or about his departure from football.

Nelson could also decide to transfer.

Since he redshirted his freshman year, Nelson, in his fourth academic year at Central, could transfer without having to sit out any time, as long as he graduates or chooses to go to a NCAA division III school. Those would be his best options with one-year of eligibility left if he decides he’d like to play football elsewhere.

In order to communicate with any other schools about transferring, he must get written permission from Athletic Director Dennis Francois, who has yet to receive such a request from Nelson.