Marcus Dixon

Last updated

Marcus Dixon
Marcus dixon.jpg
Dixon in training camp in 2009
Minnesota Vikings
Title Defensive line coach
Personal information
Born (1984-09-16) September 16, 1984 (age 41)
Rome, Georgia, U.S.
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight295 lb (134 kg)
Career information
High school Lindale (GA) Pepperell [1]
College Hampton
Position Defensive end, no. 94
Career history
Playing
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Coaching
Awards and highlights
As coach
As player
  • First-team All-MEAC (2007)
  • Second-team All-MEAC (2006)
Career NFL statistics
Games played22
Total tackles 21
Sacks 2.5
Forced fumbles 1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Stats at CFL.ca (archive)

Marcus Dwayne Dixon (born September 16, 1984) is an American football coach and a former player who is the defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL as a defensive end.

Contents

Dixon played college football for the Hampton Pirates. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He also played for the New York Jets.

Dixon is also known for a 2003 court case in which, whilst still at high school, he was convicted of statutory rape and aggravated child molestation. The latter charge was later overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court. [1] [2]

Early life

Dixon was a grade A student and excelled on the football field to the point where he had been offered a full scholarship at Vanderbilt University, which he was unable to undertake due to his subsequent imprisonment. [3]

College career

Upon his release from prison, Dixon accepted a football scholarship from Division I-AA Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. [4]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

In 2010, Dixon saw limited playing time during preseason. He was released on September 4, 2010. [5]

New York Jets

On September 5, 2010, Dixon was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets. [6]

An exclusive rights free agent, Dixon was signed to a one-year contract on January 26, 2011. [7]

Dixon was released on September 1, 2012. [8] He was re-signed to the active roster on September 4. [9] He appeared in 3 games, before being released on September 24. [10]

Kansas City Chiefs

On February 9, 2013, Dixon was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs. [11] He was cut on August 31. [12]

Tennessee Titans

On January 3, 2014, Dixon was signed to a futures contract with the Tennessee Titans. [13] He was released during final cuts on August 29. [14]

BC Lions

On October 20, 2014, Dixon was signed to the BC Lions practice roster in the Canadian Football League. [15] He made his CFL debut in the final game of the regular season against the Calgary Stampeders. [16] He was re-signed on March 2, 2015. He retired on April 30, 2015. [17]

Coaching career

Rams

The Los Angeles Rams hired Dixon as their assistant defensive line coach on February 23, 2021. [18] Dixon won his first Super Bowl championship when the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. [19]

Denver Broncos

On February 18, 2022, Dixon was hired by the Denver Broncos to serve as the team's defensive line coach for the 2022 season. [20]

Personal life

Dixon v. State

Kristie Brown alleged that on February 10, 2003, Dixon forced her to have sex, taking her virginity. [21] She has stated that contrary to Dixon's supporters' belief, she was never Dixon's girlfriend and although they shared classes, they barely knew each other. The jury acquitted Dixon of rape, battery, assault and false imprisonment, but because Brown was only 15 and Dixon 18 at the time of the incident found him guilty of statutory rape and aggravated child molestation. Because of this Dixon was convicted at the mandatory amount under Georgia law, ten years imprisonment. [22] If he had been found guilty of rape, he would have faced a much less severe punishment. [22] [23]

Supporters of Dixon including the NAACP and the Rev. Joseph Lowery's People's Agenda alleged the charges were racially motivated. The President of the Children's Defense Fund, Marian Wright Edelman called it a "Legal Lynching". [24]

Overturned conviction and release

The Georgia Supreme Court overturned Dixon's conviction for child molestation and he was released the same day, on May 3, 2004. The court let his conviction for misdemeanor statutory rape stand. After Dixon's release both he and Brown appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in an attempt to clarify their stories. [25]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Teen's sentence a shock to jurors". Atlanta Journal-Constitution . June 2, 2003. Archived from the original on August 3, 2003. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  2. ↑ Younge, Gary (January 23, 2004). "Deep south divided by rape case". The Guardian. London. Retrieved August 21, 2007. The case of a black high school student sentenced to 10 years in prison for having sex with a white 15-year-old classmate in Georgia is igniting long-standing racial tensions in the deep south. As protesters gathered outside Georgia supreme court on Wednesday, holding candles and singing We Shall Overcome, Marcus Dixon's lawyers were arguing to appeal judges that his punishment was unusually harsh.
  3. ↑ "With no bitterness, Marcus Dixon moves on living the good life". September 22, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  4. ↑ "High School Football Star Marcus Dixon Receives Scholarship to Attend Hampton". July 25, 2007. Archived from the original on March 5, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Cowboys' final cuts are in". ESPN. September 4, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  6. ↑ Vrentas, Jenny (September 5, 2010). "Jets cut David Clowney, claim three off waivers". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  7. ↑ Vrentas, Jenny (January 26, 2011), "Jets deny Raiders permission to interview secondary coach Dennis Thurman", The Star-Ledger, archived from the original on January 29, 2011, retrieved June 14, 2020
  8. ↑ Jets Media Relations Department (September 1, 2012). "Jets Announce Roster, Practice Squad Moves". New York Jets. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  9. ↑ Orr, Conor (September 4, 2012). "Jets release punter T.J. Conley, add former Chargers P Robert Malone, re-sign DT Marcus Dixon". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  10. ↑ Cimini, Rich (September 24, 2012). "Jets release DT Marcus Dixon". ESPN New York. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  11. ↑ Allen, Patrick (February 9, 2013). "Chiefs Sign Marcus Dixon". Arrowhead Addict. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  12. ↑ Teicher, Adam (August 31, 2013). "Kansas City Chiefs cut-down analysis". ESPN. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Titans Add Three Players to Roster". Tennessee Titans. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  14. ↑ Kuharsky, Paul (August 30, 2014). "Tennessee Titans cut-down analysis". ESPN. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Transactions". cfl.ca. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Marcus Dixon". bclions.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  17. ↑ "BC Lions Transactions". bclions.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  18. ↑ Jackson, Stu (February 23, 2021). "Rams finalize 2021 coaching staff". TheRams.com. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Super Bowl LVI - Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals - February 13th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Broncos hire Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator, Dwayne Stukes as special teams coordinator". February 17, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Marcus Dixon overcomes molestation conviction in high school and racism on long journey to NFL and NY Jets". New York Daily News . November 26, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  22. 1 2 Marcus Dixon. snopes.com. Retrieved on October 14, 2013.
  23. ↑ People's Weekly World – Act now to free Marcus Dixon Archived April 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ↑ "Marcus Dixon overcomes molestation conviction in high school and racism on long journey to NFL and NY Jets". NY Daily News. November 22, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Dixon making most of second chance". ESPN. November 22, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2020.

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