Kent Nix
Encyclopedia
Alvin Kent Nix is a former professional
American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
. Nix played football collegiately
at Texas Christian University
(TCU). He is the son of Emery Nix, New York Giants
quarterback who played for the New York Giants
in 1943 and 1946.
in October 1964. He passed 4 yards to Joe Ball for the first score in a 17-14 win at Fort Worth, Texas
. He led the Horned Frogs
on four long scoring drives as a senior quarterback to defeat Baylor in Waco, Texas
, the following October. Nix hit on five consecutive passes during a 79 yard drive for a touchdown, in the second quarter. TCU won on a field goal
by Bruce Alford
in the third period. Nix tied a Southwest Conference record with 4 touchdown passes of 31, 24, 12, and 15 yards, versus Rice University
, in November 1965. He also scored on a one yard plunge to give Texas Christian a 42-14 halftime lead. His first two touchdown passes came in the first ninety-three seconds following Rice fumble
s. Nix was bothered for much of his collegiate career by a knee injury. While at TCU, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta
fraternity.
on August 2, 1966. He passed through waivers but was retained on the Packers' taxi squad
for the remainder of the 1966 season. After clearing waivers Nix became a free agent
.
in September 1967. The Steelers regular quarterback, Bill Nelsen
, had an injury to his right knee. Nix was the only other quarterback on the roster. He made his debut against the Philadelphia Eagles
. Nix connected on an 18-yard pass to J.R. Wilburn
to tie the score, 24-24, midway through the fourth quarter. The Steelers lost in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, 34-24. Nix completed 23 of 34 passes against the Cleveland Browns
for 218 yards and one touchdown, in October 1967. Split end Dick Compton caught ten of his passes. Nix hit rookie Steelers' running back, Don Shy
, for a 27 yard touchdown in a loss to the Giants at Pittsburgh, on October 15.
Tom Landry
called Nix the best rookie
quarterback he had seen in
ten years. Nix guided the Steelers to a 24-14 triumph against the Detroit Lions
on December 3. He handed off to Shy for two one yard touchdowns to cap drives of 80 and 64 yards in the first and second quarters. He fooled the Lions' defense by passing often on first and second down. Most significantly Nix found swift J.R. Wilburn for a 67 yard touchdown with 1:49 remaining in the second quarter. He
led the Steelers on a 78 yard drive, completed by a Nix to John Hilton 3 yard touchdown pass, which gave Pittsburgh a temporary 10-9 lead against the Washington Redskins
. During the drive at Pittsburgh on December 10, Wilburn caught four passes for fifty-five yards.
The Steelers traded Nix during the 1970 preseason to the Minnesota Vikings, but he failed to make their roster and signed with the bears before the season started.
and spent the 1970 season
on the taxi squad. He rallied the Bears in the fourth quarter for a second straight week, coming from behind to upset the Vikings, 20-17, in September 1971. He threw touchdown passes of 36 and 26 yards to Dick Gordon
in Minneapolis. The latter pass found Gordon in the end zone
with 1:42 remaining in the game. Bears starting quarterback, Jack Concannon
, was knocked out of the game on a hit by Carl Eller
.
Nix started his first game since 1968 in a 35-14 beating of the New Orleans Saints
at Soldier Field
. He threw touchdown passes of 25 and 35 yards to Bob Wallace and Gordon. Overall he completed 14 of 24 passes for 242 yards.
The Bears waived Nix on September 13, 1972. In March 1974 Nix filed suit against the Bears, charging they had misdiagnosed a November 1971 hand injury as a sprained wrist. He asked for more than $10,000. Nix had continued playing following the preliminary diagnosis. In his lawsuit he claimed that the injury was aggravated. A later diagnosis stated that the injury was a rupture of both tendons of the index finger of the right hand.
signed him to their taxi squad on September 21. Houston traded Nix along with Ron Billingsley
to the New Orleans Saints for Dave Parks
, Tom Stincic
, and Edd Hargett
.
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
American football
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...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
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...
. Nix played football collegiately
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...
at Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
(TCU). He is the son of Emery Nix, New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback who played for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1943 and 1946.
Texas Christian quarterback
Nix helped TCU to an upset of Baylor UniversityBaylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in October 1964. He passed 4 yards to Joe Ball for the first score in a 17-14 win at Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. He led the Horned Frogs
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
on four long scoring drives as a senior quarterback to defeat Baylor in Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, the following October. Nix hit on five consecutive passes during a 79 yard drive for a touchdown, in the second quarter. TCU won on a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
by Bruce Alford
Bruce Alford
Herbert Bruce Alford, Jr. is a former American football player. As a placekicker, he played college football at Texas Christian University, and played professionally for the National Football League's Washington Redskins in 1967 and for the American Football League's Buffalo Bills in 1968 and...
in the third period. Nix tied a Southwest Conference record with 4 touchdown passes of 31, 24, 12, and 15 yards, versus Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, in November 1965. He also scored on a one yard plunge to give Texas Christian a 42-14 halftime lead. His first two touchdown passes came in the first ninety-three seconds following Rice fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s. Nix was bothered for much of his collegiate career by a knee injury. While at TCU, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
fraternity.
Green Bay Packers (1966)
Nix was cut by the Green Bay PackersGreen 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...
on August 2, 1966. He passed through waivers but was retained on the Packers' taxi squad
Scout team
In sports, the scout team, also referred to as a practice team, taxi squad, practice squad or practice roster, is a group of players on a team whose task is to emulate future opponents for the featured players. Frequently used in American or Canadian Football, these teams consist of less...
for the remainder of the 1966 season. After clearing waivers Nix became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1967 - 1969)
He got his first chance to play in the NFL with the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in September 1967. The Steelers regular quarterback, Bill Nelsen
Bill Nelsen
William Keith Nelsen was a former football player who played collegiately for the University of Southern California and professionally with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He was known for his leadership ability and ability to play with pain, having endured a series of knee...
, had an injury to his right knee. Nix was the only other quarterback on the roster. He made his debut against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Nix connected on an 18-yard pass to J.R. Wilburn
J.R. Wilburn
Johnnie Richard "J. R." Wilburn, Jr. is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for five seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers Biggest Badass to walk Salisbury Country Club.-References:...
to tie the score, 24-24, midway through the fourth quarter. The Steelers lost in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, 34-24. Nix completed 23 of 34 passes against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for 218 yards and one touchdown, in October 1967. Split end Dick Compton caught ten of his passes. Nix hit rookie Steelers' running back, Don Shy
Don Shy
Donald Frederic Shy is a former professional American football player who played running back for seven seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New Orleans Saints, the Chicago Bears, and the St. Louis Cardinals....
, for a 27 yard touchdown in a loss to the Giants at Pittsburgh, on October 15.
Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
called Nix the best rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
quarterback he had seen in
ten years. Nix guided the Steelers to a 24-14 triumph against the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on December 3. He handed off to Shy for two one yard touchdowns to cap drives of 80 and 64 yards in the first and second quarters. He fooled the Lions' defense by passing often on first and second down. Most significantly Nix found swift J.R. Wilburn for a 67 yard touchdown with 1:49 remaining in the second quarter. He
led the Steelers on a 78 yard drive, completed by a Nix to John Hilton 3 yard touchdown pass, which gave Pittsburgh a temporary 10-9 lead against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. During the drive at Pittsburgh on December 10, Wilburn caught four passes for fifty-five yards.
The Steelers traded Nix during the 1970 preseason to the Minnesota Vikings, but he failed to make their roster and signed with the bears before the season started.
Chicago Bears (1970 - 1971)
Nix signed with the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and spent the 1970 season
1970 Chicago Bears season
The 1970 Chicago Bears season was their 51st regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 6-8 record, another below .500 showing, but an improvement over their 1-13 record of the previous season.-Regular season:...
on the taxi squad. He rallied the Bears in the fourth quarter for a second straight week, coming from behind to upset the Vikings, 20-17, in September 1971. He threw touchdown passes of 36 and 26 yards to Dick Gordon
Dick Gordon (American football)
Richard Frederick Gordon is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played ten seasons for the Chicago Bears, the Los Angeles Rams, the Green Bay Packers, and the San Diego Chargers.-External links:*...
in Minneapolis. The latter pass found Gordon in the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
with 1:42 remaining in the game. Bears starting quarterback, Jack Concannon
Jack Concannon
John Joseph "Jack" Concannon, Jr. was an American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Playing career:...
, was knocked out of the game on a hit by Carl Eller
Carl Eller
Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
.
Nix started his first game since 1968 in a 35-14 beating of the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. He threw touchdown passes of 25 and 35 yards to Bob Wallace and Gordon. Overall he completed 14 of 24 passes for 242 yards.
The Bears waived Nix on September 13, 1972. In March 1974 Nix filed suit against the Bears, charging they had misdiagnosed a November 1971 hand injury as a sprained wrist. He asked for more than $10,000. Nix had continued playing following the preliminary diagnosis. In his lawsuit he claimed that the injury was aggravated. A later diagnosis stated that the injury was a rupture of both tendons of the index finger of the right hand.
Houston Oilers (1972)
The Houston OilersHistory of the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are the professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the then-Houston, Texas, team began play in 1960 as a...
signed him to their taxi squad on September 21. Houston traded Nix along with Ron Billingsley
Ron Billingsley
Ron Billingsley is a retired American football player. He attended high school at Gadsden High School in Gadsden, Alabama from 1959 to 1962. He attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie from 1963 to 1966, where he played on defense and special teams for the Cowboys football team under Coach...
to the New Orleans Saints for Dave Parks
Dave Parks
David Wayne Parks is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL. He was the first overall selection in the 1964 NFL Draft out of Texas Technological College . Parks was selected to three Pro Bowls...
, Tom Stincic
Tom Stincic
Thomas D. Stincic is a former American football player. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, he attended John Marshall High School. He then enrolled at the University of Michigan where he played college football, principally as a linebacker, from 1966 to 1968. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in...
, and Edd Hargett
Edd Hargett
Edward Eugene Hargett is a former American football quarterback for Texas A&M University who went on to play professionally for the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers. He later played for the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League.Edd passed for 5379 yards in his 3 year career ...
.