N elson Evans III, 47, of Cedar Rapids, called himself an average guy. Everyone who knew him, though, would attest that he was far beyond average, and his reach and influence went far beyond what he could see. Nelson impacted countless young men for the good, whether as a football coach for Metro Youth, working at Four Oaks, or as a DL coach at his alma mater, Jefferson High School. Some of Nelson's proudest moments included being able to coach his son, Braylon, as a J-Hawk.

Nelson went by many names—Dad, Big Horse, Guido. His teams called him Coach, and to most everyone else, he was Nelly. His calm and kind disposition put everyone at ease, and his smile lit up a room. At family gatherings, Nelson always insisted on bringing his favorite—homemade sweet potato pie, baked according to his mama's recipe. Nelson was born on July 5, 1975, to Nelson Evans Jr. and Mary (Davis) Evans Jr., the first brother to Alice and Gladys Evans. Their brother Liam Karr completed their family of six. Nelson started racing BMX when he was 8 and played baseball for Cedar Hills. By the time he went on to Taft and Jefferson (Class of 93), he wrestled and played football. As a J-Hawk (number 75) Nelson played first team all-state and all-conference. He was inducted in the Jefferson HS Hall of Fame in 2003.

Nelson went on to play football for Truman State University (jersey number 94) where he earned a degree in psychology in 1997. He was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He garnered second team all-MIAA recognition during his senior year. After college, Nelson worked as a youth counselor at Four Oaks and continued his education thru New Horizons, earning computer science degrees. He coached flag football at Metro Youth. A J-Hawk to the core, Nelson coached the freshman DL at Jefferson High School. He worked at Collins Aerospace's IT Department.

Nelson passed away unexpectedly on Monday, September 26, 2022. He is survived by his son, Nelson "Braylon" Evans IV; his significant other, Brandi Brooks; his stepdaughter, Alex Young; his father, Nelson Evans Jr.; his sisters Alice Evans and Gladys Evans; his brother, Liam Karr; nephews, including Araf, who is like a brother, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Evans.

Visitation will be from 2 – 7 p.m., Sunday, October 2, 2022, at Brosh Chapel and The Avacentre in Cedar Rapids, located at 2121 Bowling Street SW. Celebration of Life Services will be 1p.m., Monday, October 3, 2022, at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, located at 6621 C Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402.