Gridiron Spotlight: Fort Dorchester lineman Malachi Nelson

Malachi Nelson is one of the players Fort Dorchester will rely on in the trenches this Fall.

The rising senior is a returning starter at offensive tackle who has been in the Patriots’ program for four years. The Fort graduated a lot of seniors from last year’s offensive line so his experience will be key.

“Malachi has been a main stay for us,” said Fort Dorchester coach Shaun Lorenzano. “He’s blue collar through and through and provides great leadership.”

That leadership has already made a difference in the weight room this offseason. The Patriots’ separate their weight lifting into two sessions, one for skills players and another for the heavier athletes. According to Lorenzano, the one who sets the tone for the “bigs” is Nelson.

“I push the younger guys every day to make sure they are taking the right steps toward developing as football players,” Nelson said. “It’s going to take a lot of discipline for us to reach out goals, but I think we will shine on both sides of the ball this season.”

This Summer a sophomore and a freshman are the front runners for the team’s starting quarterback position so providing protection for whoever wins the job will be more important for the Patriots than it has been some other years.

Nelson lists welding as a hobby. His father inspired him to pursue it and to take welding courses.…Read more by By Roger Lee