BALLz Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/um/story/1053306.html University of Miami academic advisor Kelly Pierce still sometimes weeps when she reads the recommendations sent to the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics on behalf of Hurricanes football player Antonio Dixon. They're tears of joy. ''I may be almost as happy as he is -- if not more,'' Pierce said. Dixon, the 6-2, 325-pound defensive tackle whose story of homelessness, severe stuttering, learning disabilities and a father in prison has been well documented, earned his degree in liberal arts Friday. The 23-year-old also recently signed a free agent contract with the Washington Redskins. But what Dixon has boasted about the most lately, according to roommate and former UM teammate Spencer Adkins, is being one of six college athletes nationwide to receive the Wilma Rudolph Student Athlete Achievement Award -- intended to honor college athletes who have overcome great personal, academic and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success. May be a long shot to make the team, but a good story none the less Click link for the rest of the article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Full Monty Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Good find. Thanks for sharing. Now that's adversity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRNY4ZRNY Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Yeah great story, would be sweet if he made the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick1796 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 May be a long shot to make the team, but a good story none the less This is the kind of story i love. guys beating the odds and doing what it takes to make something of themselves. I'll be rooting for him to win a back-up spot. Mike Williams too. Seconds chances are great things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Yea, he's a longshot, not just for the obvious reasons, but also because we're pretty deep at DT......can he play DE or O-line ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel2 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/um/story/1053306.htmlMay be a long shot to make the team, but a good story none the less Click link for the rest of the article It is a great story and will be a better story if he can make the team. I am pulling for him to do the impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BALLz Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 Yea, he's a longshot, not just for the obvious reasons, but also because we're pretty deep at DT......can he play DE or O-line ? His best bet would be making the practice squad, then getting an opportunity to make the team when/if Monty or Golston leave in FA. He seems to take advantage of his opportunities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 His best bet would be making the practice squad, then getting an opportunity to make the team when/if Monty or Golston leave in FA. He seems to take advantage of his opportunities. Theoretically yes.....but unfortunately, the PS might be a stretch, realistically speaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panel Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 We have Goldston, Montgomery, Griffin, and Haynesworth. Who of those could he beat out? He is practice squad at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarantula Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 You gotta love stories like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annonymous Source Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 He shouldnt make the team this year because we are stacked at D-Line, but if he does well he can make the practice squad. would love it if he made the team, but he isnt going to beat out Haynesworth, Carter, Griffin, Montgomery, Gholston, Evans, Daniels, or Alexander. that is not even counting Orakpo because it is still unclear as to his exact position. Lets hope that he makes it onto the practice squad for us. Sounds like a classy guy who has a lot of heart, something always worth keeping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 You gotta love stories like this. True, but it's going to be sad, when he most likely gets cut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 We have Goldston, Montgomery, Griffin, and Haynesworth. Who of those could he beat out?He is practice squad at best. also, Lorenzo Alexander is listed as a DT, even tho he plays other positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 but if he does well he can make the practice squad. it depends.....we only have so many slots on the PS, and the Staff may decide to use them for other positions to develop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Scouting Report doesn't look too bright for him. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2009/draft/players/44192.html BIOGRAPHY: Started five games as a senior and finished with 22 tackles as well as three tackles for loss. Junior year numbers included 21/3.5/1.5 when he started four games. POSITIVES: Big, powerful interior defender who flashes dominance. Displays good first step quickness, gets a lot of push up the field, and has shown the ability to collapse the pocket. Plays with a good degree of explosion, and easily brings ball carriers down at the point of attack. NEGATIVES: Must develop more moves with his hands and become quicker disengaging from blocks. Too easily turned from his angle of attack by a single blocker. ANALYSIS: Dixon has teased NFL scouts the past two seasons who feel he's underachieved on the field. He possesses the natural size and has shown the abilities to be a big-time defensive tackle/nose tackle prospect, but his work ethic and intensity on the field are consistently questioned. Dixon comes off another disappointing campaign, and his NFL career will be short-lived unless the light goes on. PLAYER BIO AS A HURRICANE : http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/dixon_antonio00.html CAREER: Three-year letterman who has played in 27 games, making five starts. Has career totals of 40 tackles (14 solo), with 5.5 tackles for loss, five QB pressures, 2.5 sacks and a pass breakup 2007 (JUNIOR): Played in nine games and made four starts. Finished with career highs in every statistical category ... 21 tackles (eight solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, three QB pressures, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup ... Played in the defensive tackle rotation on 34 downs, making one assisted tackle and one deflected pass against Oklahoma ... Started and played on 29 downs, making a season-high six tackles (one solo), with one tackle for a loss in win over Texas A&M ... Started at left defensive tackle and had one of the finest games of his career, posting six tackles (four solo), with 1.5 sacks and three QB pressures in win over Duke ... Started at defensive tackle and saw action on 15 plays, making one tackle for loss and one assisted tackle at North Carolina...Started at defensive tackle and made two solo tackles at Boston College in season finale. 2006 (SOPHOMORE): Played in 11 games, starting the final two games...Finished with 14 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and two QB pressures...Played mostly on run downs ... Made his first collegiate start vs. Boston College on Thanksgiving night ... Tallied six tackles (two solo), with one tackle for loss and one QB pressure...Also started against Nevada in the MPC Computers Bowl, making two solo tackles. 2005 (FRESHMAN): Earned valuable playing time as a true freshman, often in key short-yardage and goal-line situations...Played in eight games, making seven tackles (three solo) and two QB pressures...In his first collegiate game, the season opener at Florida State, saw limited action in goal-line and short-yardage situations (four plays, one tackle)...Played again in the goal-line and short-yard defenses for two plays in the next game at Clemson...Saw limited action in the fourth quarter vs. South Florida, Duke and Temple (one tackle)...Played three snaps at Virginia Tech...Played as a reserve defensive tackle in the fourth quarter of the Wake Forest game, seeing action on a season-high 24 plays and registering four tackles (one solo), with a QB pressure...Played sparingly in the Peach Bowl vs. LSU. HIGH SCHOOL: Played both offensive and defensive line, grading out at better than 90 percent in his blocking assignments as a senior in 2003...On defense, made 62 tackles and 10.5 sacks...Had eight sacks as a junior...In 2004, ranked as the No. 19 player in Florida by Rivals.com, and was the No. 7 prep school prospect in 2005 by Rivals.com...Ranked as the No. 23 defensive tackle in 2005 by Scout.com...In his only season at Milford Prep in 2004, finished with 77 tackles, including a team-high 21 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks (tied for best on the team)...Team finished with an 11-1 record...Chose Miami over Florida, Florida State, Rutgers and South Florida...Coached in high school by Tim Harris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Can we not be happy for the kid for a few minutes without people deeming he has no future with the team? Obviously the coaches see something in him, or we would not have signed him. Whether he makes the team or not, I am happy for him. He has come a long way and I don't doubt that he will make it somewhere. I am sure people have thought he had no chance to overcome many other obstacles in his life. But guess what...he has made it this far. He is obviously a very driven individual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chanhillbilly Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 He sound like a project with an upside. I would really like to see someone take him under their wing and mentor him. Just get him mentally to the next step where he is 100 mph for every play and down... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Can we not be happy for the kid for a few minutes without people deeming he has no future with the team? I am very happy for him. At the same time, this is the Stadium, a place designated to talk about Redskin football, so be prepared for that. And no-one is disrespecting or bad-mouthing him. And it's also important to keep in perspective his chances of making the team, so people don't set themselves up for a huge disappointment when he doesn't make the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duptgrow Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 If you call deep a bunch of mediocre players. There is only one DT not expendable and his name is Hanynesworth. If this guy can learn his playbook and get a couple of sacks under his belt in pre-season, he has a great chance of making the club. I will be cheering for him... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 If you call deep a bunch of mediocre players. There is only one DT not expendable and his name is Hanynesworth. If this guy can learn his playbook and get a couple of sacks under his belt in pre-season, he has a great chance of making the club. I will be cheering for him... I will cheering for him too, and Golston/Montgomery might be "average" players (and Griffin will not be cut, btw), but "learning your playbook and getting a couple sacks in meaningless preseason games against 2nd or 3rd stringers" does not put you on the same level as mediocre NFL players who were draft choices, and have started and been productive for a couple years. Preseason heros get cut all the time. Again, I hope he does well, but let's not be a homer, and make it sound easier than it really will be, for him to make the team. Keep things in perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CounterTrey75 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Great find. I love hearing stories like this. Although it may be a long shot to make the team, this guy again just might overcome the odds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cphil006 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Here's to hoping he at least makes the practice squad. Our DT is kind of stacked, so he'd be hard-pressed to find room... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cphil006 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Cane Mutiny... This guy can play... he's a hurricane!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 This type of story supercedes the Redskins in my opinion. I love reading things like this and I just want the kid to catch on somewhere/anywhere. Maybe he'll play well enough in the preseason to get a look from another team if he truly can't make the Redskins. He has put in the work necessary to make a career out of playing football. Given what he's overcome, I wouldn't bet against him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sens11 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Great find. I love hearing stories like this. Although it may be a long shot to make the team, this guy again just might overcome the odds. Agreed. He may be practice squad material, but the guy has beat the odds already. Good story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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