Dennis Dixon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dennis Dixon

Dixon at Autzen Stadium in 2009
No. 2, 10
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1985-01-11) January 11, 1985 (age 40) Oakland, California, U.S.
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
Pittsburgh Steelers (2008–2011) Baltimore Ravens (2012)* Philadelphia Eagles (2013)* Buffalo Bills (2013–2014)* Arizona Cardinals (2014)*
Career highlights and awards
2× Super Bowl champion (XLIII, XLVII) Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year (2007) First-team All-Pac-10 (2007)
Career NFL statistics
Pass cmp / att: 35 / 59 Percentage: 59.3 TD–INT: 1–2 Passing yards: 402 Passer rating: 71.4 Rushing yards: 56 Rushing touchdowns: 1
Player stats at PFR

Dennis Lee Dixon Jr., born on January 11, 1985, is a former American football player. He was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Dennis played college football for the Oregon Ducks. The Pittsburgh Steelers picked him 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. That year, the Ravens won the Super Bowl.

Early Life and High School Football

Dennis Dixon started as the quarterback for San Leandro High School's football team. He began playing in this role during his sophomore year. In his senior year (2002), he threw for 2,426 yards. He also scored 30 touchdowns, helping his team achieve a 12–1 season.

Dixon finished his high school career with amazing stats. He had 5,951 passing yards and 79 touchdowns. His team, San Leandro, had a great record of 36 wins and only 3 losses. These losses were in championship games against De La Salle.

Dennis was considered a top recruit for both passing and rushing quarterbacks. He chose to attend the University of Oregon. He said his goal was to win a national championship there.

Dixon was also a talented baseball player. The Cincinnati Reds drafted him in 2003. However, he decided not to sign. He wanted to go to college and earn a degree first.

College Football Career

Dennis Dixon started his college football journey in 2004. He played behind another quarterback, Kellen Clemens. In his first year, he played in six games. He passed for 73 yards and ran for 40 yards.

Sophomore Season (2005)

In 2005, Dennis was expected to be a backup player. But the starting quarterback, Clemens, broke his ankle. Dixon stepped in to play. He helped the Ducks win four regular season games. They finished second in the Pac-10.

Junior Season (2006)

Before the 2006 season, Coach Mike Bellotti named Dixon the full-time starter. Dennis led the Ducks to a strong 4–0 start. This included a close 34–33 win against the Oklahoma Sooners. Even though his season was cut short, he was still fourth in the conference for total offense. He also earned an academic award for his good grades. In June 2007, he graduated from Oregon with a degree in sociology.

Senior Season (2007)

In 2007, Dixon was again the starting quarterback. He had a fantastic start to the season. Against Houston, he ran for 141 yards, which was a record for an Oregon quarterback. The next week, against Michigan, he threw for three touchdowns and ran for another. He gained 368 total yards. He was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week.

Dennis continued to lead the Ducks to big wins. They beat Fresno State and Stanford. Against Stanford, he completed 27 of 36 passes for 367 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for another touchdown.

Later in the season, against Cal, Dixon threw his first two interceptions. The Ducks lost their first game of the season. However, wins against USC and Arizona State pushed Oregon to a high ranking. They were #2 in the BCS poll and first in the Pac-10.

During the Arizona State game, Dixon hurt his knee. He played two weeks later against Arizona. He ran for a 39-yard touchdown. But then his left knee buckled again, and he left the game. It was discovered that he had torn a ligament in his knee. Without Dixon, the Ducks lost their last two games. However, they won the 2007 Sun Bowl against South Florida. Dixon cheered from the sideline.

After surgery, Dixon worked hard to recover. He was able to walk without a limp at the NFL Combine. He couldn't do all the drills there, but he showed his skills at Oregon's Pro Day.

College Career Statistics

Dennis Dixon had a strong college career. Here are his overall stats:

Professional Football Career

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Dennis Dixon in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft. He was the 156th player chosen overall. Some people thought he might be used like Antwaan Randle El. Randle El was a college quarterback who became a wide receiver in the NFL.

In 2008 preseason games, Dixon completed 12 of 24 passes. He also ran for a 47-yard touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. On December 28, 2008, Dixon completed his first official NFL pass. It was to Hines Ward, who made his 800th career catch on that play.

Dixon made his first NFL start on November 29, 2009. This happened because other quarterbacks were injured. The Steelers lost that game 20–17 in overtime. Dixon completed 12 of 26 passes for 145 yards. He had one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for 27 yards and scored a rushing touchdown. However, his interception in overtime led to the Ravens winning the game.

Dixon wore jersey number 2 for his first two seasons. After a player trade, he switched to number 10. This was the same number he wore in college.

For the start of the 2010 season, the Steelers' main quarterback was suspended. Byron Leftwich was named the starter. But Leftwich got a serious knee injury in the last preseason game. This meant Dixon became the opening day starter. He won against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. However, the next week, he tore a knee cartilage while playing against the Tennessee Titans. This was the last game of his professional career. He was placed on Injured Reserve in October.

Baltimore Ravens

Dixon on the sideline during Super Bowl XLVII.

On September 2, 2012, the Baltimore Ravens signed Dixon to their practice squad. He was briefly cut in November but then re-signed. He was the practice squad quarterback when the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. He earned a Super Bowl ring that year.

Philadelphia Eagles

Dixon signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on February 14, 2013. This move reunited him with Coach Chip Kelly. Kelly was the offensive coordinator at Oregon when Dixon was a senior. Dixon was released by the Eagles in August.

Buffalo Bills

On October 8, 2013, Dixon joined the Buffalo Bills practice squad. This happened after their starting quarterback got injured. The Bills released him in August 2014.

Arizona Cardinals

On October 7, 2014, Dixon was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. He was released by the team a week later.

Professional Career Statistics

Here are Dennis Dixon's statistics from his professional NFL career:

Awards and Honors

Dennis Dixon received many awards during his college career:

• He was named the Pacific-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2007.
• He was also selected for the first-team All-Pac-10 in 2007.
• Dixon received 17 first-place votes for the Heisman Trophy. He finished fifth in the overall voting.
• He was a finalist for several other major awards. These included the Draddy Trophy, Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, and Maxwell Award.
• He won the NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award.
• He also received the Hayward award. This award is given to the best amateur athlete in Oregon.