George Dixon (football player)

NFL player
Color=#c7cad0
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Name=George Dixon


Caption=1964 Topps CFL Card of Montreal Alouettes running back George Dixon
DateOfBirth=1934
Birthplace= New Haven, Connecticut, USA
DateOfDeath=death date and age|1990|8|6|1934|1|1
Deathplace= Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Position=Running back
College=University of Bridgeport
DraftedYear=1959
DraftedRound=9 / Pick 97
(By the Green Bay Packers)
Career Highlights=Y
CFLAllStar=1962, 1963
Awards=1962 CFL MOP
Honors=
ProBowls=
years=1959-1965
teams=Montreal Alouettes
DatabaseFootball=
PFR=
CFHOF=24&player=Dixon,%20George
CollegeHOF=

George Dixon (1934 - August 6, 1990) was a former professional Canadian football player and a Canadian Interuniversity Sport football coach. Dixon starred as a running back for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, from 1959 to 1965. While Dixon played in only 76 games during his injury-shortened, seven year career, all with the Alouettes, he is remembered as one of their finest players. Dixon's jersey #28 is one of seven retired by the Alouettes, and he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1974. In 2006, Dixon was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's Top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.cite web | url = http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?fid=10855 | accessdate = 2007-05-05 | author = | title = TSN Top 50 Honour Roll | publisher = TSN.ca | date = 2006-11-28]

After his playing career ended, Dixon was the head coach of the Loyola College Warriors (now Concordia Stingers) Canadian college football team in the late 1960s-early 1970s.

College & NFL career

Dixon was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1934, and was a graduate of the nearby University of Bridgeport, where he starred as a running back for the Purple Knights.

Following graduation, Dixon was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 9th round (97th pick) of the 1959 NFL Draft. His impressive 95 yard kickoff return for a touchdown on August 23, 1959, against the San Francisco 49ers in an exhibition game, was not enough to keep rookie head coach Vince Lombardi from cutting him. Dixon missed out on a chance to be part of one of the NFL's great dynasties, becoming a Canadian Football Hall of Fame member instead.

CFL career

With offensive linemen Verdun Shamcats and later Alouettes General Manager Bob Geary blocking for him, Dixon amassed 5615 yards on 896 carries, for an average of 6.3 yards a carry. He scored 59 touchdowns, 42 by rushing. His best day came on September 5, 1960, when he scored 4 touchdowns against the Ottawa Rough Riders. Dixon rushed for 100 yards in a game 24 times in his career.

Although the Alouettes did not have a winning season during Dixon's time with the club, the Alouettes made the playoffs 5 of the 7 years, losing in the Eastern Division semi-finals in 4 of those years. Dixon will also forever be in the Alouettes, and CFL, record book for his 109 yard longest run from scrimmage, against the Ottawa Rough Riders, on September 2, 1963. He also set the Larks one game rushing record that day, with 235 yards.

Dixon's best season was in 1962, when he rushed for 1,520 yards, was named an Eastern Conference and CFL All-Star and won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award award. The following, 1963 CFL season was also a good one, with Dixon amassing 1,270 yards rushing and equalling his All-Star honours of the previous year.

Dixon's great accomplishments have not gone unremembered. His uniform number, 28, has been retired by the Alouettes, and he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on May 6, 1974. In November, 2006, Dixon was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.cite web | url = http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?fid=10855 | accessdate = 2007-05-05 | author = | title = TSN Top 50 Honour Roll | publisher = TSN.ca | date = 2006-11-28]

Later life and death

After his playing career ended, Dixon coached the Loyola College Warriors, of Montreal, to great and unexpected success. The following quote is taken from the Concordia University 2006 Sports Hall of Fame induction (Loyola merged with Sir George Williams University to create Concordia:)

Dixon died on August 6, 1990, in Montreal, at the age of 56, survived by his wife, Carol.

References

External links

* [http://www.footballhof.com/famers/player.asp?id=65 Canadian Football Hall of Fame Profile - George Dixon]
* [http://www.montrealalouettes.com/ Montreal Alouettes - official site]