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 Mats Nilsson NCAA & SEC Champion 1997, Crimson Tide | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Mats Inge Nilsson |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Born | Tyresö, Stockholm County |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | ~180 lb |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Sweden |
| Sport | Track and Field |
| Event | Javelin |
| Club | Klippans FK |
| Retired | 2005 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best | 77.14 m |
Mats Nilsson is a 4-time All-American male javelin thrower competing for University of Alabama (1995–1998), University of Texas at El Paso (2000–2001), and the Swedish National Team (1991–2004). He was ranked top-10 in the world as a junior, a perennial medalist at the Swedish Championships, and became Crimson Tide's first NCAA champion in the javelin throw in history. Mats's older brother, Joakim Nilsson, was the catalyst for the Tide's throwers' program in the early 1990s, and was awarded the prestigious Bryant Student Athlete Award (1995) (named after Paul "Bear" Bryant) at the end of his career. Mats Nilsson received his PhD in exercise physiology.
