TROY, Ala.—Last year, Kevin Dixon had high hopes.
He was supposed to start at Nebraska under new head coach Bo Pelini, hoping to help start the Cornhuskers back to national prominence.
That changed when he was dismissed from the team for rules violations before camp started. For a couple of days, the defensive tackle thought it was all over.
“The first couple of days I was down on myself for not doing what I was supposed to do, but after a couple of days Troy called, so I took it and ran with it,” Dixon said.
Troy had been on Dixon since he was a star in high school in Sebring, Fla., and even through junior college, but couldn’t sign him in 2007 as he chose Nebraska.
He started four games in 2007, but was cited for public urination and marijuana possession, according to the Daily Nebraskan, before being dismissed.
Dixon caught on with Troy later, sat out last year as a transfer, and is set to begin his one and only season with the Trojans as a starting defensive tackle.
He’s also eager to put the past behind him.
“Troy had always been loyal to me since high school,” Dixon said. “In a nutshell, it was some issues within myself, not taking care of the things I needed to take care of. Now that’s in the past so I’ve moved on.”
Troy coaches felt comfortable enough for Dixon to come to Troy. When he first got there, he joined the scout team and gave the first-team offensive line fits.
“I remember very well seeing somebody so big that looked so athletic, it was surprising seeing that person on the scout team,” Troy center Danny Franks said. “I had to ask around and found out he transferred from Nebraska. To go up against him and not give your best effort and have him beat you, it’s shellshocking.
“Thank God we had him on the scout team, because he made our O-line a lot better.”
Sitting out of football for the first time since he started playing, Dixon said he was humbled and got closer to finishing his degree requirements. He’ll graduate in the spring with a degree in social sciences and minor in recreation.
“I want to give back to the community and work with troubled youth, teaching kids the right things to do and what not,” Dixon said. “Having to transfer, having to sit out, that was the biggest moment in my life. That’s a thing that when I do help with young guys, I’ll be able to tell them stuff I went through so they won’t make the same mistakes I did.”
This year, the only mistakes he hopes to take advantage of are ones by opposing offensive lines.
“He’s a really good kid with a great personality that has worked hard,” defensive coordinator Jeremy Rowell said. “He can have a big year for us.”
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Information from: The Dothan Eagle,
