George Dixon (football player)
Encyclopedia
George Dixon was a 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
. 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.
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.
offensive lineman, 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
.
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 in 1974:)
Dixon died on August 6, 1990, in Montreal
, at the age of 56, survived by his wife, Carol and his sons Kirk and Eric.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
player and a Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...
football coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
.
Dixon starred as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, from 1959
1959 CFL season
The 1959 CFL season was the sixth season in modern Canadian professional football, although officially it was the second season of the Canadian Football League.-Final regular season standings:...
to 1965
1965 CFL season
The 1965 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 12th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 8th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 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
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
in 1974. In 2006, Dixon was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's Top 50 players
TSN Top 50 CFL Players
The TSN Top 50 CFL Players was a list of the greatest fifty Canadian Football League players, as selected by a panel of sixty former CFL players, then-current and former coaches, executives, and media members in 2006. The panel was assembled by sports television network TSN in partnership with the...
of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
. After his playing career ended, Dixon was the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Loyola College Warriors
Loyola College (Montreal)
Loyola College was a Jesuit college in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It ceased to exist when it was incorporated into Concordia University in 1974. A portion of the original College remains as a separate entity called Loyola High School....
(now Concordia Stingers
Concordia Stingers
The Concordia Stingers are the athletic teams that represent Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They compete with other schools in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and more specifically, in the Quebec Student Sports Federation and the Quebec University Football League...
) Canadian college football
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...
team in the late 1960s-early 1970s.
College and NFL career
Dixon was born in New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
in 1934, and was a graduate of the nearby University of Bridgeport
University of Bridgeport
The University of Bridgeport is a private, independent, non-sectarian, coeducational university located on the Long Island Sound in the South End neighborhood of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The University is fully Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges...
, where he starred as a running back for the Purple Knights.
Following graduation, Dixon was drafted by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the 9th round (97th pick) of the 1959 NFL Draft
1959 NFL Draft
The 1959 National Football League Draft was held on December 2, 1958 and January 21, 1959 .-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:...
. His impressive 95 yard kickoff return for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
on August 23, 1959, against the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in an exhibition game, was not enough to keep rookie head coach Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
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
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
member instead.
CFL career
With Verdun ShamcatsVerdun Shamcats
The Verdun Shamcats were a team in the Quebec Rugby Football Union from 1950 until 1966. The team was formed in July 1950 by the amalgamation of five local Verdun junior teams originally created in 1945, into a single, more competitive team in the junior Quebec Rugby Football League...
offensive lineman, and later Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
General Manager, Bob Geary
Bob Geary
Bob Geary, an ex-player and general manager of the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL, died on February 17, 2001. He was 68.After playing for the Verdun Shamcats in the Quebec Senior Football League, Geary began his professional career with the CFL Calgary Stampeders in 1955.Geary moved to the Alouettes...
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
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
. Dixon rushed for 100 yards in a game 24 times in his career.
Although the Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
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
Canadian Football League East Division
The East Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the East Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.- Pre-1907 :...
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
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
, on September 2, 1963. He also set the Larks
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
one game rushing record that day, with 235 yards.
Dixon's best season was in 1962
1962 CFL season
The 1962 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 9th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 5th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1962:The Canadian Football Hall of Fame was established in Hamilton....
, when he rushed for 1,520 yards, was named an Eastern Conference
Canadian Football League East Division
The East Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the East Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.- Pre-1907 :...
and CFL All-Star and won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The Most Outstanding Player award can be compared to the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, otherwise known as the "MVP" award...
award. The following, 1963 CFL season
1963 CFL season
The 1963 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 10th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 6th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1963:...
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
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
on May 6, 1974. In November, 2006, Dixon was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's top 50 players
TSN Top 50 CFL Players
The TSN Top 50 CFL Players was a list of the greatest fifty Canadian Football League players, as selected by a panel of sixty former CFL players, then-current and former coaches, executives, and media members in 2006. The panel was assembled by sports television network TSN in partnership with the...
of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
.
Later life and death
After his playing career ended, Dixon coached the Loyola CollegeLoyola College (Montreal)
Loyola College was a Jesuit college in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It ceased to exist when it was incorporated into Concordia University in 1974. A portion of the original College remains as a separate entity called Loyola High School....
Warriors, of Montreal, to great and unexpected success. The following quote is taken from the Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
2006 Sports Hall of Fame induction (Loyola merged with Sir George Williams University to create Concordia in 1974:)
Dixon died on August 6, 1990, in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, at the age of 56, survived by his wife, Carol and his sons Kirk and Eric.