Nelson "Jumped Right In"

Most riders that come up from the amateurs into the pro ranks have a little more time to prepare for the transition than the one week Lucas Oil/Troy Lee Designs/Honda rider Jessy Nelson did. He was planning on waiting another year before moving up to the big time, but when the team contacted him and said they wanted him to ride for them in place of the injured Cole Seely, he couldn't overlook the oppertunity.

What's even better is that Nelson said he didn't really want to go pro at the time. He felt like he wasn't really prepared for the big time and wanted more time to get ready. But when a team like TLD Honda contacts you with an offer, you'd be silly to refuse it. So he went into the 2012 season looking at the year as a learning experience more than an actual full-on competitive series.Though he hasn't been an instant front-runner, Nelson has seemingly adjusted fairly well to the high-intensity lifestyle of a full-time professional rider.

Check out Transworld Motocross' full interview with Jessy HERE. Oh, and yes, he's been re-signed with the team for 2013.