Inspired by junior high school teachers - one a sculptor; the other a painter, the multi-talented Nock etched, sketched, sculpted and painted throughout high school. In 1964, on a sports scholarship, the mild-mannered jock attended Morgan State University, where he majored in Psychology. By 1969 he had been drafted by the New York Jets. "The team would be going over game strategy in the training facility in Shea Stadium, and would find Nock working on preliminary drawings for sculptures.

After 5 years in the NFL, Nock retired. A natural instinct to eye afield and to scheme an entire play transformed fluidly - to the ability to look at a clump of clay and envision a masterpiece. Whereas, immediate productivity was demanded on the playing field, the average sculpture required 2-7 months of labor to complete.