Roosevelt Nix (fullback) facts for kids
Nix in 2024
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||||||
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| 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 (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) |
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| College: | Kent State | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2014 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Roosevelt Delbert Nix-Jones (born March 30, 1992) is a former professional football player. He played as a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). Roosevelt Nix played college football at Kent State University. After college, he was signed by the Atlanta Falcons in 2014. Later, as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Nix 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. During his senior year, he was named the OCC Player of the Year. He also earned many other honors, like being selected for the All-State team.
As a junior, Roosevelt was a strong player. He made 84 tackles and had eight sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. He also played wrestling in high school.
College Football Career
After high school, Roosevelt Nix went to Kent State University. He played for the Kent State Golden Flashes football team. He started as a defensive lineman, a player who tries to stop the other team's offense.
Freshman Season: A Strong Start (2010)
In his first year at Kent State, Roosevelt Nix quickly made an impact. He was great at forcing the other team to drop the ball, which is called a fumble. He also got many sacks. In one game, he had 3.5 sacks and forced another fumble.
He finished his first season with 43 tackles and 10 sacks. He also led his conference, the MAC, with 20 tackles for a loss. A tackle for a loss means stopping the offensive player behind where they started. Because of his amazing performance, he was named the MAC Freshman Player of the Year. He also became the first freshman from Kent State to win the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award.
Sophomore Season: Continued Success (2011)
In his second year, Roosevelt Nix kept playing well. He had six tackles and a sack against a top team, #2 Alabama. He also forced a fumble that helped his team win a game against South Alabama.
He ended his sophomore season with 39 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He led Kent State with 17 tackles for a loss. For the second year in a row, he was voted to the first-team All-MAC.
Junior Season: Team Captain and Bowl Game (2012)
For his junior year, Roosevelt Nix was chosen as a team captain by his coaches and teammates. He started the season strong with eight tackles and a sack. He continued to make big plays, including a forced fumble in a close 45–43 win.
His team, the Golden Flashes, had a great season, finishing with 11 wins and 3 losses. They even played in a bowl game, the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl. Roosevelt finished his junior year with 59 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and six sacks. He was again named first-team All-MAC.
Senior Season: Leading the Defense (2013)
In his final year at Kent State, Roosevelt Nix continued to be a leader. He had a career-high eight tackles in one game. He finished his senior season with 41 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He was voted defensive captain by his teammates and was named first-team All-MAC by Sports Illustrated.
Roosevelt Nix ended his college career as a record-holder for Kent State. He had 65 tackles for a loss, which ranks him fourth all-time in NCAA history. He was also the first player in his school's history to be named first-team all-conference for all four years he played.
Professional Football Career
Even though Roosevelt Nix had a great college career, many experts thought he might not be drafted by an NFL team. This was because he was considered a bit small for a defensive lineman in the NFL. So, he decided to change positions to linebacker and lost some weight to prepare for the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons: A New Position (2014)
In 2014, the Atlanta Falcons signed Roosevelt Nix to a contract. He even appeared on the TV show Hard Knocks, which shows what training camp is like for NFL teams. To have a better chance of making the team, Nix switched positions again, this time to fullback. A fullback is a player who blocks for the running back and sometimes carries the ball or catches passes. However, he was released by the Falcons in August 2014.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Finding His Role (2015-2019)
In January 2015, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Roosevelt Nix. He first joined as an inside linebacker, but because the team had many players at that position, he switched back to fullback. The Steelers didn't usually use a fullback much in their offense. So, Roosevelt knew his best chance to stay on the team was to be excellent on special teams. Special teams are the units that play during kicks, like kickoffs and punts. He made some great plays on special teams during the preseason, including blocking a kick.
First NFL Season (2015)
On September 5, 2015, Roosevelt Nix made the Steelers' main roster. He played in 15 games and started four of them. He made his first career start in October 2015. He also forced his first fumble on special teams during a game against the Oakland Raiders. He finished his first season with two catches for 11 yards and seven special teams tackles.
Becoming the Starter (2016)
In 2016, the Steelers' starting fullback left the team, making Roosevelt Nix the main fullback. He missed the first five games due to a back injury. But he returned and made his first start of the season in November. He finished the season playing in ten games with two starts.
Pro Bowl Season (2017)
In 2017, Roosevelt Nix was the only fullback on the Steelers' roster. On December 10, 2017, he scored his first career touchdown on a one-yard pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Later that month, he scored his first career rushing touchdown with a one-yard run.
His great performance led to a big honor: on January 22, 2018, he was named to his first Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl is an all-star game for the best players in the NFL.
Later Seasons with Steelers (2018-2019)
In February 2018, Nix signed a four-year contract extension with the Steelers. In 2019, his teammates voted him as a Special Teams Captain. Unfortunately, he was placed on injured reserve in November, meaning he couldn't play due to an injury. He was released by the Steelers in March 2020.
Indianapolis Colts and Retirement (2020-2021)
Roosevelt Nix signed with the Indianapolis Colts in April 2020 but was released later that year. On July 13, 2021, Roosevelt Nix announced that he was retiring from football.
Personal Life
Roosevelt Delbert Nix-Jones was born on March 30, 1992, in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. His parents are Lisa and Roosevelt Nix. He has two younger siblings named Keela and Jalen Jones. His mother, Lisa, was a talented softball player when she was in college at Bowling Green.
