Dennis Dixon facts for kids
Dixon at Autzen Stadium in 2009
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| No. 2, 10 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | January 11, 1985 Oakland, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | San Leandro (San Leandro, California) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Oregon | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 5 / Pick: 156 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
Dennis Lee Dixon Jr. (born January 11, 1985) is an American former professional football player. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He also played college football for the Oregon Ducks. Dixon was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played with the Steelers until 2011. He was also part of the Baltimore Ravens practice squad in 2012 when they won a Super Bowl.
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Early Life and High School Football
Dennis Dixon started as the main quarterback for San Leandro High School's football team when he was a sophomore. In his final year, 2002, he threw for 2,426 yards and 30 touchdowns. This helped his team achieve an impressive 12–1 season.
He finished his high school career with 5,951 passing yards and 79 touchdowns. His team had a great record of 36–3. Their only losses were in three championship games against the strong De La Salle team.
Dixon was considered a top recruit, meaning many colleges wanted him. He was known as one of the best passing and rushing quarterbacks in the country. He chose to attend the University of Oregon because he wanted to win a national championship.
Besides football, Dixon was also a talented baseball player. The Cincinnati Reds drafted him in 2003. However, he decided not to sign with them. He wanted to go to college and earn a degree first.
College Career at Oregon
Dixon started his college football career at the University of Oregon in 2004. He played as a backup quarterback in his first year. In 2005, the main quarterback, Kellen Clemens, got injured. Dixon stepped in and helped the Ducks win four games. They finished second in their conference.
In 2006, Dixon became the full-time starting quarterback. He led the Ducks to a strong 4–0 start. Even though he was benched for some games later in the season, he still had good stats. He was also recognized for his academic achievements. In June 2007, he graduated from Oregon with a degree in sociology.
His senior year in 2007 was outstanding. Dixon started the season with a record-breaking rushing performance for an Oregon quarterback. He continued to play well, throwing for many touchdowns and running for more. He was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week multiple times.
Oregon climbed to a #2 national ranking in the BCS poll. However, Dixon suffered a serious knee injury (a torn ACL) during a game. This injury ended his amazing season. Without him, the Ducks lost their last two games. But they still won the 2007 Sun Bowl with Dixon cheering them on from the sideline.
After surgery, Dixon worked hard to recover. He was able to walk without a limp at the NFL Combine, which is where college players show their skills to professional teams.
College Statistics
| Oregon Ducks | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||
| Year | Team | Comp | Att | Yds | TD | INT | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2004 | Oregon | 6 | 15 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 80.9 | 10 | 40 | 4.0 | 0 |
| 2005 | Oregon | 69 | 104 | 777 | 6 | 3 | 142.4 | 49 | 143 | 2.9 | 1 |
| 2006 | Oregon | 197 | 322 | 2,143 | 12 | 14 | 120.7 | 94 | 442 | 4.7 | 2 |
| 2007 | Oregon | 172 | 254 | 2,136 | 20 | 4 | 161.2 | 105 | 583 | 5.6 | 9 |
| Career | 444 | 695 | 5,129 | 38 | 21 | 137.9 | 258 | 1,208 | 4.7 | 12 | |
Baseball Career (Briefly)
After his junior year at Oregon, Dennis Dixon was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He played a short time in their rookie league teams. However, he returned to Oregon for his senior year of football.
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄4 in (1.91 m) |
195 lb (88 kg) |
36+1⁄4 in (0.92 m) |
9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) |
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| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Dennis Dixon in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. Some thought he might be used like Antwaan Randle El, another college quarterback who became a wide receiver in the NFL.
Dixon played in some preseason games in 2008. He completed his first official NFL pass on December 28, 2008.
He made his first NFL start on November 29, 2009, against the Baltimore Ravens. This happened because other quarterbacks were injured. The Steelers lost that game in overtime. Dixon threw for 145 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for a touchdown.
In 2010, Dixon was named the starting quarterback for the Steelers' first game of the season. He won that game against the Atlanta Falcons. However, in the next game, he tore a knee ligament (meniscus). This injury ended his season and was his last NFL game.
Baltimore Ravens
In 2012, the Baltimore Ravens signed Dixon to their practice squad. He was part of the team when the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. This means he earned a Super Bowl ring!
Other Teams
After the Ravens, Dixon signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. He was later released. He then joined the Buffalo Bills practice squad in October 2013. The Bills released him in 2014. Finally, he was briefly with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad in October 2014 before being released.
Professional Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||
| 2008 | PIT | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 79.2 | 2 | -3 | -1.5 | 0 |
| 2009 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 12 | 26 | 46.2 | 145 | 5.6 | 1 | 1 | 60.6 | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 1 |
| 2010 | PIT | 2 | 2 | 22 | 32 | 68.8 | 254 | 7.9 | 0 | 1 | 79.4 | 5 | 32 | 6.4 | 0 |
| Career | 4 | 3 | 35 | 59 | 59.3 | 402 | 6.8 | 1 | 2 | 71.4 | 10 | 56 | 5.6 | 1 | |
Awards and Recognition
Dennis Dixon received many awards during his college career:
- In 2007, he was named the Pacific-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
- He was also selected for the 2007 first-team All-Pac-10.
- He finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, a very prestigious award for college football players. He was even a frontrunner before his injury.
- He was a finalist for several other major college football awards, including the Draddy Trophy, Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award.
- He won the NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award.
- He also received the Hayward award, given to the best amateur athlete in Oregon.
