Speed’s Dixon Playing A Big Part in Richmond’s Upsurge
David Chappell
Friday May 9, 2003
As the Speed’s biggest player at 6’3” and 340 pounds, Dixon stands out on the field based on his size alone. However, sheer size is far from Dixon’s only impressive attribute. Combining strength, intelligence and surprising quickness to go along with his massive size, Dixon possesses a unique blend of talents that is rarely found in a single player. As Speed head coach Richard Davis said, “Terry, on paper, is the best we’ve ever had on the offensive/defensive line. And that kid is as big and as athletic a guy as I’ve ever coached, and I really mean that.”
Through his father Charles Dixon, who was a multi-sport athlete, Terry Dixon was indoctrinated into playing football at a very early age. Dixon commented, “I started playing ball when I was very young. Everywhere my Dad went I was always on his coattails. But I was always too big to play Pee-Wee League football, so I didn’t play organized football until the ninth grade.”
Being physically large even as an early teenager, Dixon was a natural to play on the offensive line. And Dixon did so, from his earliest days of stepping onto a football field. Dixon credits his father, who recently passed away, for helping him pick up the nuances of offensive line play very early in his playing career. “Once I got to the ninth grade, I picked up offensive line play pretty easily because I followed my Dad everywhere he went and had learned from him,” Dixon said.
A native of Washington, D.C., Dixon went on to star on the gridiron at southeast Washington’s Anacostia High School. Playing just minutes away from Washington’s RFK Stadium, Dixon said he grew up “a die-hard Redskins fan.”
Dixon won multiple awards and accolades while playing for Anacostia, but his senior year in 1995 was particularly special. That year, the Indians won the DCIAA (Washington, D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association) Championship after having come up short in the title game several years previously. Individually, Dixon was named in 1995 to Washington’s prestigious All-Metro first team as an offensive lineman. Dixon was also an All-DCIAA-East selection as an offensive tackle. On offense, Dixon averaged six “knockout blocks” per game. Dixon also played defense in high school, and in 1995 was a terror on that side of the ball as well, registering 23 tackles for losses along with eight QB sacks.
Out of high school, Dixon went to the University of Wisconsin initially before transferring to Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa. From there, Dixon went to West Virginia University and played for three years (one was a red shirt year) there and was an outstanding player as a starting offensive lineman.
Dixon has fond memories of his playing days at West Virginia. “West Virginia was great. I played under the legendary coach Don Nehlen. Coach Nehlen was a pleasure to play for. It was definitely a great experience; something I will never forget the rest of my life.”
While at West Virginia University, Dixon helped open holes for a couple of premiere Mountaineer running backs. Dixon reflected, “I blocked for Avon Cobourne, who is the all-time Big East leading rusher. I really got him started off in his career the first couple of years, and I’m very proud of that. I got to play with Amos Zereoue a lot too. I definitely played with some top notch players, and the time at West Virginia was a great time in my life.”
In addition to being a dominating offensive lineman at West Virginia, Dixon excelled in two other areas there that did not get a lot of publicity but showed two of his other important attributes—intelligence and strength. Dixon explained, “I was on the academic Honor Roll at West Virginia. I also made the all-time strength and conditioning team at WVU with a bench press of 510 pounds—that’s something I really had to apply my heart to and that I’m very proud of.”
After finishing up at WVU in May of 2001, Dixon said he had a couple of tryouts with pro teams. Dixon said he was later contacted by Coach Davis of the Speed, who asked Dixon if he still wanted to play pro football. Dixon said his response was “definitely yes.” Dixon went on to say, “Being a pro athlete is a dream of mine.”
Davis was ecstatic at being able to bring in a player of Dixon’s caliber to the Speed. Davis explained, “[Terry] came in with quite a pedigree from the University of West Virginia. I talked personally with West Virginia’s coaches, and they loved him. He was very accomplished, playing in the Big East. I also talked to several NFL people about Terry. We got lucky to get Terry.”
Dixon was close to becoming a Baltimore Raven. But being the victim of the NFL’s “numbers game” led to Dixon being off of the playing field for a year, according to Davis. The Richmond coach said, “Terry is a big picture kid. He knew he needed to get back on the field. The Speed were the closest professional opportunity to his home in Washington, D.C. other than the NFL, so we partnered up.”
Being out of football for a year made Dixon’s initial weeks with the Speed a bit onerous according to Davis, as the arena football rookie had to get himself into playing shape and learn the fundamentals of a new brand of football. But Davis said Dixon is getting acclimated, and is coming on like gangbusters now. “Terry has been an absolute joy. It’s working out well. He’s done a great job for us.”
According to Davis, Dixon’s last game against the Greensboro Prowlers (a 59-52 Richmond victory) may have been his best yet. “Against Greensboro and their vaunted pass rush, he played just short of dominating. He absolutely stoned them. For us to win that ball game, he had to play that way. He didn’t flinch; he went in there and got it done.”
Dixon says that his adjustment to arena football is still ongoing, but with the help of the coaching staff and his teammates he is making positive strides. “Coach Davis is a good coach. He definitely has a lot of faith in me, and I try to give 110% every time I go out,” Dixon said. Dixon also credits his teammates, particularly four year Speed veteran and fellow OL/DL Al Ford, for working with him and helping to shorten his arena football learning curve. But Dixon hastened to add that the learning process to feel totally comfortable on an arena football field continues. “I’m still learning. The inside game is definitely a different game. The speed of the (arena) game is so fast. Everything is moving 100 miles an hour.”
A major part of Dixon’s adjustment to af2 is having to play special teams and defense in addition to his duties on offense. Dixon is especially enjoying playing on the defensive side of the ball again, where he had not played since his days at Anacostia High. Smiling, Dixon said, “Defense is fun. You try to get off the ball and make some plays. You hear your name called on the defensive side a little bit. When you’re an offensive lineman, you don’t hear your name very much. On the defensive line, you’re able to smack people around and make tackles and sacks, so that’s definitely a lot of fun.”
Davis indicates that Dixon is progressing nicely in both the special teams and defensive areas. Due to his uncanny ability to run down the field quickly despite his massive size, Dixon is an asset on special teams. As for defense, Davis says Dixon creates major match up problems for opposing offenses due to his size. Davis noted, “Terry is starting to find himself on defense. He’s starting to realize how to make plays on the defensive side of the ball. Obviously, that’s a real plus.”
Dixon is excited about the way Richmond is coming together as a team, and feels that the Speed’s victories in its last two games are a reflection of the team’s many newcomers starting to feel comfortable with each other. On Richmond’s recent upsurge, Dixon said, “We’re coming around a lot. The first two games (losses) we had a lot of new guys learning the game. By the third week we became more of a team. The guys were getting used to each other. We’re playing well and practicing better. Guys are hanging out with each other. Just camaraderie, I think that brought us together and got us on this two game winning streak.”
According to Dixon, the level of the Speed’s line play has picked in recent weeks as well. Dixon explained, “It’s a matter of learning. Learning the schemes and doing what Coach wants us to do, getting in the spots we have to be in. Coach always has a good game plan, so if we do what we’re supposed to do we can play well on any day.”
Richmond (2-2) looks to keep up its winning ways tomorrow night against the visiting Rochester Brigade (1-4) and premiere OS Martino Theus. According to Dixon, this game is no time for a let down. Dixon noted, “[Rochester] is a big game for us. We don’t want to be too high because we’re on a two game winning streak, but also we don’t want to come out lackadaisical. We want to be practicing hard, have a good week of practice, and hopefully come out with a win.”
Davis echoes the sentiments that despite their record, the Brigade will present a challenge to the Speed tomorrow night. Davis said, “Rochester is a scary ball club for us. We’re on a little roll now, and they come in with a record not reflective of what I think is the caliber of their team. I think they’re better than what their record shows. I believe if we take care of business, and we don’t turn the ball over and commit penalties, we have a good chance to [win] this week. But I tell you, if we overlook Rochester, we have a good chance to [lose] too.”
Dixon is looking forward to playing the Brigade tomorrow night, and to the rest of this af2 season with the Speed. Dixon calls Richmond “a great atmosphere to be in.” But, Dixon has his sights set on an eventual move up to Arena1 or the NFL. Dixon commented, “Arena2 is good experience for me, but I definitely want to move up to either Arena1 or the NFL, and I’m hoping to use my play in af2 as a building block and a platform to move up.”
Davis realizes that Dixon has the football ability that will likely take him to levels of pro football beyond af2 down the line, but ultimately what is paramount to Davis is what will be best for Terry Dixon “the person” in the future. Davis said, “I believe in his heart and soul Terry knows that I want what is best for him as a person. He’s a good person and I really like him a lot.” For the present, Davis said he is delighted that Dixon has decided to play for the Speed this year, and that Dixon fully understands his level of importance to the Richmond Speed in 2003. “Terry knows that [the Richmond Speed] will go as far as Terry Dixon will take us,” Davis said.
David Chappell is a native of Richmond, Virginia. He has closely followed local sports in Richmond and vicinity for over thirty years, and Arena Football 2 since its inception. David currently writes extensively for a website that he co-founded which documents professional wrestling in Virginia and surrounding areas from 1974-1986. A former elected prosecutor, David is currently a practicing attorney in a large downtown Richmond law firm.
