 Solder with theNew England Patriots in 2011 | |||||||
| No. 77, 76 | |||||||
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| Position | Offensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | (1988-04-12)April 12, 1988 (age 37) Denver, Colorado, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 316 lb (143 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Buena Vista(Buena Vista, Colorado) | ||||||
| College | Colorado (2006–2010) | ||||||
| NFL draft | 2011: 1st round, 17th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Nathaniel Perry Solder (born April 12, 1988) is an American former professionalfootball player who was anoffensive tackle in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theColorado Buffaloes, and was recognized as a consensusAll-American. Solder was selected by theNew England Patriots in the first round of the2011 NFL draft and won twoSuper Bowls as a member of the team.
Solder was born inDenver, Colorado. He attendedBuena Vista High School inBuena Vista, Colorado, where he played tight end for the Buena Vista Demons high school football team.[1][2]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Solder TE | Buena Vista, Colorado | Buena Vista High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | 4.9 | Nov 25, 2005 |
Recruit ratings:Scout: Rivals:  | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: -- Rivals: 35 (CO) | ||||||
Sources:
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In the Spring 2006, Solder signed a letter of intent to attend theUniversity of Colorado, where he played for theColorado Buffaloes football team from 2006 to 2010. Recruited as atight end, Solderred-shirted in 2006. In 2007, he played at tight end, catching three passes for 50 yards. As a red-shirt sophomore, Solder was asked to bulk up and shift from tight end totackle: he quickly won a spot in the starting offensive line, a position Solder would keep for the rest of his Colorado career, starting every game over the next three seasons. In his junior season: he again started every game, and was named a fourth-team All-American by College Football Insiders.[3] Solder came to Colorado as aredshirt freshman in 2006 as a 6' 7" and 230-poundtight end; by 2009, he was listed at 6' 9" and 305 pounds.
Solder was one of three finalists for the 2010Outland Trophy, along withGabe Carimi andRodney Hudson; Carimi won.[4]Jon Gruden ofESPN said that Solder "has a huge upside. But remember he's a convertedtight end and a work in progress."
Following Christmas 2009, Solder traveled toGuatemala and volunteered at an orphanage; as a sophomore, he went to Italy during the summer to help rebuild a town after it suffered many collapses from an earthquake.[5] At CU, Solder regularly participated in the "Read with the Buffs" and "Buffalo Hugs" programs.[5]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft8+1⁄4 in (2.04 m) | 319 lb (145 kg) | 35+1⁄2 in (0.90 m) | 9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) | 5.05 s | 1.77 s | 2.93 s | 4.34 s | 7.44 s | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) | 21 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[6][7][8] | ||||||||||||
"To me, he's one of the most gifted tackles I've seen in the last couple of years from a foot-technique perspective"
TheNew England Patriots made Solder the second offensive tackle chosen in the2011 NFL draft (afterTyron Smith) when they drafted him 17th overall,[10] with the pick they received from theOakland Raiders in a 2009 trade forRichard Seymour.[11] Solder had a private workout with Patriots offensive line coachDante Scarnecchia just a few days before the draft.
Solder signed a contract on August 4, 2011; per the new CBA, it was a four-year deal worth $8.54 million including a $4.7 million signing bonus.[12] Solder played his first regular season game against the Miami Dolphins on September 12 and allowed just one sack against Pro BowlerCameron Wake.
Solder was on the active roster for all of the Patriots' games, and started 13 of 16 regular-season games. In some of those games he filled in for right tackleSebastian Vollmer; when both Vollmer and left tackleMatt Light were healthy, Solder was used primarily as an additional tight end (making him atackle eligible). During the regular season, Solder allowed just three sacks, four pressures, and five penalties on 880 snaps, according toPro Football Focus.
At the end of the 2011 season, Solder and the Patriots appeared inSuper Bowl XLVI. He started the game, but the Patriots once again lost to theNew York Giants, this time by a score of 21–17.[13]
In 2012, after Light's retirement, Solder became the Patriots' starting left tackle. He started every game of the season, and played 1,234 snaps on offense, the highest of any offensive player in the NFL. Counting special teams, Solder played 1,333 snaps, second only to fellow Patriots linemanRyan Wendell.[14]
After the 2013 season, the Patriots exercised their fifth-year option on Solder. During the AFC Championship Game, he caught his first career pass, resulting in a 16-yard touchdown. Despite an up and down regular season, Solder had an excellent postseason and won his first Super Bowl with the Patriots, who had won their first Super Bowl in 10 years.
In April 2015, Solder revealed that he had been diagnosed withtesticular cancer after his annual team physical.[15] Doctorsremoved the affected testicle, and, after missing a few weeks of off-season activities, Solder went on to start every game for the Patriots in the 2014 season. He is one of two Patriots linemen to have been treated for cancer; fellow 2011 Patriots drafteeMarcus Cannon was diagnosed withlymphoma prior to being drafted.[16]
On September 9, 2015, the Patriots gave Solder a two-year extension, through the 2017 season adding about $20 million in new money, A clause in the extension prohibited the Patriots from using thefranchise tag on Solder in 2018.[17] Before the 2015 season, Solder was voted a captain by his teammates for the first time in his career.
In a Week 5 matchup against theDallas Cowboys, Solder left the game with what was initially described as an elbow injury. It was later determined that he tore his right bicep; Solder was subsequently placed on season-ending injured reserve.[18]
Solder came back in 2016 after the injury the previous season and started 15 regular-season games at left tackle for the Patriots. Solder helped the Patriots reachSuper Bowl LI.[19]
On February 5, 2017, Solder was part of the Patriots team that wonSuper Bowl LI. In the game, the Patriots defeated theAtlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime.[20] The Patriots trailed 28–3 in the third quarter, but rallied all the way back to win the game, which featured the first overtime game in Super Bowl history and the largest comeback in the Super Bowl.[21]
Solder started all 16 regular-season games at left tackle for the Patriots. The Patriots reachedSuper Bowl LII, but failed to repeat as Super Bowl Champions for the first time since2004 after falling to thePhiladelphia Eagles 41–33, in a rematch ofSuper Bowl XXXIX.[22]
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On March 15, 2018, Solder signed a four-year, $62 million contract with theNew York Giants with $35 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league at the time.[22][23] Solder was named the Giants starting left tackle in 2018, starting all 16 games. However, he missed the playoffs for the first time in his seven-year career, as the Giants finished 5–11.
On July 31, 2020, Solder announced he would opt out of the 2020 season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[24] He signed a new contract with the team after the season on March 17, 2021.[25]
On February 16, 2022, Solder's contract automatically became voided, ending his tenure with the Giants.[26] Solder would retire after leaving the team.[27]
| Year | Team | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | ||
| 2011 | NE | 16 | 13 |
| 2012 | NE | 16 | 16 |
| 2013 | NE | 15 | 15 |
| 2014 | NE | 16 | 16 |
| 2015 | NE | 5 | 5 |
| 2016 | NE | 15 | 15 |
| 2017 | NE | 16 | 16 |
| 2018 | NYG | 16 | 16 |
| 2019 | NYG | 16 | 16 |
| 2020 | NYG | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | NYG | 16 | 16 |
| Career | 146 | 143 | |
Solder is aChristian.[28] He and his wife, Lexi Allen, were married in 2014.[5] She is fromSouthbury, Connecticut and won theNCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship while playing guard atSouthern Connecticut State University in 2007.[5] They have three children: Hudson, Charlie Grace, and Emerson.
In 2015, when Hudson was three months old, Solder was diagnosed withcancer. He has been undergoing treatment ever since, including surgery to remove tumors in 2019.[5]
Solder has been a supporter ofCompassion International. In 2018, the Solder family donated to the organization to provide eight service centers in three countries.[29] In 2020, he and his family donated $1 million to the organization.[30]
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