| Spike Nelson | |
| Birth Date: | 2 April 1906 |
| Birth Place: | Cherokee, Iowa, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Laguna Hills, California, U.S. |
| Player Years1: | 1925–1927 |
| Player Team1: | Iowa |
| Player Positions: | Tackle |
| Coach Years1: | 1931 |
| Coach Team1: | Iowa (line) |
| Coach Years2: | 1932–1937 |
| Coach Team2: | LSU (line) |
| Coach Years3: | 1938 |
| Coach Team3: | Mississippi State |
| Coach Years4: | 1939–1940 |
| Coach Team4: | Yale (line) |
| Coach Years5: | 1941 |
| Coach Team5: | Yale |
| Coach Years6: | 1942 |
| Coach Team6: | Saint Mary's Pre-Flight (assistant) |
| Coach Years7: | 1943 |
| Coach Team7: | Saint Mary's Pre-Flight |
| Overall Record: | 8–17–1 |
| Awards: |
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Emerson William "Spike" Nelson[1] (April 2, 1906 – October 20, 1998)[2] [3] was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State College, now Mississippi State University, in 1938 and at Yale University in 1941, compiling a career head coaching record of 5–13. He played college football as a tackle at the University of Iowa and was selected as a first-team tackle by the New York Sun on its 1926 College Football All-America Team.[4] He was also selected as a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and Central Press.[5] [6] [7]