MANKATO, Minn. -- Initially charged with two counts of felony assault, ex-University of Minnesota quarterback Philip Nelson will plead guilty to one count of fifth-degree assault for his role in a Mankato bar fight last May, his attorney said.
In a statement released by defense attorney Jim Fleming, Nelson filed a petition Tuesday morning agreeing to enter a guilty plea to the lesser charge in exchange for the two felonies to be dropped.
In Minnesota, a fifth-degree assault conviction carries a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
Also in the statement, Nelson expressed remorse for his role in the assault that left former Minnesota State Mankato linebacker Isaac Kolstad with severe brain injuries.
“I am saddened by what happened on May 11, 2014,” Nelson said. “I still don’t remember what happened that night after I was hit in the head, but I recognize that I let down my family and friends by my actions. I offer my sincere apologies to everyone involved, and I wish Isaac Kolstad the best as he continues his recovery.”
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On May 11, witnesses say Kolstad threw a punch and hit Nelson in the head after an altercation inside a Mankato bar. Nelson and another man fell to the ground. As Kolstad walked away, a man identified as Trevor Shelley of St. Peter is seen in a security video punching Kolstad in the back of the head.
After Kolstad was hit, he fell to the ground and hit his head on the pavement. Nelson got up from the ground and kicked Kolstad in the head.
A medical expert witness in the case testified Nelson’s kick likely had little influence on Kolstad’s injuries, which made the reduced charge possible.
Fleming said his client suffered a concussion during the fight and has no memory of kicking Kolstad. However, Nelson “has reviewed the video and acknowledges what he did.”
Nelson, a former Mankato West standout, spent two seasons playing for the Minnesota football team. He had transferred to Rutgers University in New Jersey, but was dropped from the team by the school after he was criminally charged in the fight with Kolstad.
Kolstad started his college football career at North Dakota State University before he transferred to Minnesota State. He was celebrating his college graduation the night of the assault.
Recovery
Kolstad was placed in a medically-induced coma after the attack, and regained consciousness in June. Since then, he has been regularly attending physical and speech therapy to regain normalcy in his life. He has attended Mavericks football practices and games, and lead the team onto the field in its September season opener.
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Kolstad spoke to the media on his 25th birthday on Dec. 17. He talked at length about working on his recovery, and said he had even broken a therapy treadmill by running too fast.
In a post on his Caringbridge site this past week, Kolstad’s wife Molly wrote Isaac continues to make progress in his recovery, and is beginning to take on more everyday tasks by himself, like showering standing and other multitasking activities.
“We have at the least another solid year of potential recovery,” Molly Kolstad wrote. “So the marathon continues and continues. I never was a runner, but Isaac was, so I will continue to follow him.”
