Roosevelt Nix (fullback) facts for kids
Nix in 2024
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | March 30, 1992 Reynoldsburg, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Reynoldsburg | ||||||||||||
| College: | Kent State | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2014 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Roosevelt Delbert Nix-Jones (born March 30, 1992) is a former American football player. He played as a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Kent State University. After college, he joined the Atlanta Falcons. Later, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2017. His father also played in the NFL.
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Early Life and High School Football
Roosevelt Nix grew up in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. He went to Reynoldsburg High School. In his senior year, he was named the OCC player of the year. He also earned many other honors, like being on the All-state team.
Nix played in special football games for top high school players. These included the 2010 Big 33 Classic. As a junior, he made 84 tackles and eight sacks. He also played wrestling in high school.
College Football Career
After high school, Nix went to Kent State University. He played for the Golden Flashes football team.
Freshman Year (2010)
Nix started playing as a defensive lineman in 2010. In his first two games, he forced a fumble and got a sack. He was very good at forcing fumbles early in the season. In one game, he had 3.5 sacks and forced another fumble. He also blocked an extra point in a win.
He finished his first year with 43 tackles and 10 sacks. He led the MAC with 20 tackles for a loss. He was named first-team All-MAC and MAC Freshman Player of the Year. He was the first freshman from Kent State to win the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award.
Sophomore Year (2011)
In 2011, Kent State got a new coach, Darrell Hazell. Nix started the season strong against a top team, #2 Alabama. He had six tackles and a sack in that game. Later, he forced a fumble that helped his team win a game.
He continued to play well throughout the season. In a game against Akron, he had a career-high six tackles. He was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. For the second year in a row, he was voted first-team All-MAC. He led Kent State with 17 tackles for a loss.
Junior Year (2012)
Nix was chosen as a team captain by his coaches and teammates in 2012. He started his junior year with eight tackles and a sack. In a close 45–43 win, he had five solo tackles and forced a fumble. He also had a sack in a victory over Army.
The Golden Flashes had a great season, finishing with 11 wins and 3 losses. They played in the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl. Nix ended his junior year with 59 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. He was voted first-team All-MAC again.
Senior Year (2013)
Kent State got another new coach, Paul Haynes, for Nix's senior year. Nix had four tackles for loss in a game against Bowling Green. He also had a career-high eight tackles in another game. In his last college game, he had six tackles and forced a fumble.
He finished his last season with 41 tackles and 13 tackles for loss. He was voted defensive captain by his teammates. He was also named first-team All-MAC by Sports Illustrated.
Nix ended his college career as a top player for Kent State. He led the team with 65 tackles for a loss. He was second in school history with 25 sacks. He was the first player in Kent State history to be named first-team all-conference for all four years. His 65 tackles for loss rank him fourth all-time in NCAA History.
Professional Football Career
Even though Nix had a great college career, he was not expected to be picked in the NFL draft. This was because he was considered a bit small for a defensive end. He decided to change his position to linebacker and lost some weight.
Atlanta Falcons
On May 10, 2014, the Atlanta Falcons signed Nix. He signed a three-year contract. He even appeared on the TV show Hard Knocks with the Falcons. To try and make the team, Nix switched positions again, this time to fullback. However, the Falcons released him on August 3, 2014.
After that, Nix played for the Cleveland Gladiators in the Arena Football League (AFL) for a short time.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Joining the Steelers (2015)
On January 9, 2015, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Nix. He was reunited with his former Kent State teammate, Dri Archer. He was first signed as an inside linebacker. But because the team had many players at that position, he switched to fullback again.
The Steelers didn't usually use fullbacks much. So, Nix knew his best chance to stay on the team was to be excellent on special teams. He made some great plays on special teams during the pre-season, including blocking a kick.
On September 5, 2015, Nix made the Steelers' main roster. He was the backup to veteran fullback Will Johnson. On October 18, 2015, he started his first NFL game. This was during the Steelers' win over the Arizona Cardinals. He played in 15 games that season, starting four of them. He also forced his first fumble on special teams. He had two catches for 11 yards. Nix had to miss the end of the season due to a foot injury.
2016 Season
On January 19, 2016, the Steelers signed Nix to a new contract. The Steelers' former starting fullback, Will Johnson, left the team. This made Nix the main starting fullback for the 2016 season.
Nix missed the first five games because of a back injury. On October 16, 2016, he played in his first game of the season. He made his first start of the season in a win over the Cleveland Browns. He finished his second season with two starts in ten games. He had two catches for five yards.
2017 Season and Pro Bowl
On January 26, 2017, the Steelers re-signed Nix again. He was the only fullback on the team during training camp. This meant he was the definite starter for the season.
On December 10, 2017, Nix scored his first career touchdown. It was a one-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger. This happened in a comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens. On December 25, Nix scored his first career rushing touchdown. It was a one-yard run against the Houston Texans. On January 22, 2018, he was chosen for his first Pro Bowl. He was a replacement player for another player who was going to the Super Bowl.
2018 Season
On February 10, 2018, Nix signed a four-year contract extension with the Steelers. During a game against the New Orleans Saints, Nix celebrated what he thought was a successful play. However, he was actually stopped just short of the first down.
2019 Season
On September 2, 2019, Nix was voted as a Special Teams Captain by his teammates. He was placed on injured reserve on November 14 due to an injury. He started practicing with the team again in December. However, he was not able to play in any games as the Steelers did not make the playoffs.
The Steelers released Nix on March 18, 2020.
Indianapolis Colts and Retirement
Nix signed with the Indianapolis Colts on April 11, 2020. He was released by the Colts on August 31, 2020.
Roosevelt Nix announced that he was retiring from football on July 13, 2021.
Personal Life
Roosevelt Delbert Nix-Jones was born on March 30, 1992, in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. His parents are Lisa and Roosevelt Nix. His stepfather's name is Johnny Jones. He has two younger siblings, Keela and Jalen Jones. His mother, Lisa, was a great softball player at Bowling Green University.
