Though drafted by the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ken Nielsen was traded that same year to Winnipeg. Ken Nielsen became a standout wide receiver for the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1965 to 1970. In the
1965 Western conference playoffs, Nielsen caught a 109-yard touchdown pass from
Ken Ploen which beat the
Calgary Stampeders and helped send Winnipeg to the
53rd Grey Cup game. But the Blue Bombers lost that game to the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the so-called "Wind Bowl", when weather conditions were terrible for passing,
punting, and
place kicking. During training camp in 1970, after only five seasons, Nielsen suffered a serious neck injury which cut short his career. He caught 280 passes for 4,340 yards. ==After football==