Cal Dixon
Encyclopedia
Calvert Roy "Cal" Dixon, III (born October 11, 1969) is a former American college and professional football
player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League
(NFL) for five seasons in the 1990s. Dixon played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Jets
and the Miami Dolphins
of the NFL.
in 1969. He attended Merritt Island High School
in Merritt Island, Florida
, and played high school football
for the Merritt Island Mustangs.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played center
for coach Galen Hall
and coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
teams from 1988 to 1991. As a senior
in 1991, Dixon was a team captain
and a member of the Gators' first Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championship squad. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 1990 and 1991, a second-team All-American, the winner of the SEC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy
, and the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award in 1991. He was also recognized as an SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree all four years and a member of the College Football Association's Scholar-Athlete Team in 1991.
, and he was a center
and guard
for the Jets from to . He played in sixty-six NFL games, starting in twelve of them. Dixon finished his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins in .
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for five seasons in the 1990s. Dixon played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL.
Early years
Dixon was born in Fort Lauderdale, FloridaFort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
in 1969. He attended Merritt Island High School
Merritt Island High School
Merritt Island High School is a public high school located in Merritt Island, Florida.-Principals:#Robert Bruton 1965-1983#Hank Smith 1983-1999#David M. Piccolo 2002#Gary Shiffrin 2002 - current- Academics :...
in Merritt Island, Florida
Merritt Island, Florida
Merritt Island is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located on the east coast of the state on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2000 census, the population was 36,090. It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
for the Merritt Island Mustangs.
College career
Dixon received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for coach Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
and coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
teams from 1988 to 1991. As a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
in 1991, Dixon was a team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
and a member of the Gators' first Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championship squad. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 1990 and 1991, a second-team All-American, the winner of the SEC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Jacobs Blocking Trophy
The Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of , the founder and president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. The trophies are awarded by his sons, Hugh and William...
, and the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award in 1991. He was also recognized as an SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree all four years and a member of the College Football Association's Scholar-Athlete Team in 1991.
Professional career
The New York Jets selected Dixon in the fifth round (127th pick overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft1992 NFL Draft
The 1992 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1992. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft...
, and he was a center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
and guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for the Jets from to . He played in sixty-six NFL games, starting in twelve of them. Dixon finished his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins in .
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Miami Dolphins players
- List of New York Jets players
- List of SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy winners
- List of University of Florida alumni