Story by Gage Johnson
Senior writer
gjohnson17@murraystate.edu
“When we started off the video, I recognized the place right away. I thought, ‘Oh no, coach [Mitch Stewart] found some embarrassing video of me from elementary school.’”
That’s what was running through redshirt freshman offensive lineman Levi Nesler’s mind when Stewart addressed the Racer football team in their film room.
“Let me show you all a little something you don’t know about Levi,” Stewart told the team.
Stewart proceeded to shut the lights off in the room and play a video for the team, one that would change Nesler’s life forever.
In the video, children and teachers from Farmington Elementary School, where Nesler attended, chanted his name. As the video closed in toward the end of the hallway, his parents were standing at the end with his mom holding a sign which read, “From Wildcat, to Eagle, to Racers, to full ride.”
“It meant a lot to see all the kids cheer my name, and see my mom and my dad standing at the end holding the sign,” Nesler said. “As soon as I saw the sign said full ride, it felt like a burden was lifted off my shoulders. All that hard work has paid off.”
Before joining the Racers as a walk-on, Nesler played football at Graves County High School. In 2016, he was named to the 2016 AP All-State second team, and was a 2016 Courier-Journal All-State honorable mention.
Following his redshirt season, Nesler prepared for a productive offseason. However, with his family needing help, Nesler spent all summer working on a farm with no pay. Furthermore, because of his work schedule, Nesler would have to come in on his own time for a workout rather than with the whole team.
Stewart credits Nesler’s work ethic on and off the field for getting him where he is now.
“You talk about a guy with gravel in his guts,” Stewart said. “That guy, he’s just got it. He’s a tough kid, and that was an easy scholarship to give. He’s a guy that made the most out of that opportunity.”
Nesler’s effort not only took him from walk-on to scholarship player, he won the battle for the starting center job on the offensive line and started in the Racers’ first game against Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
“It afforded Levi the opportunity to take that starting job at center,” Stewart said. “We talk about it all the time, being ready when your opportunity presents itself, and he was. So, he’s going to be the starter going into game one.”