Dixon Edwards
Encyclopedia
Dixon Voldean Edwards, III (born March 25, 1968 in Cincinnati, Ohio
) is a former American football
linebacker
in the National Football League
from 1991 through 1998. He played college football
at Michigan State University
and was drafted
in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft
.
in Cincinnati, Ohio
, where he earned all-district honors as a tight end
and defensive tackle.
He attended Michigan State University
, where in his first season as a starter in 1989, he finished second on the club in tackles and tied for the team lead in tackles for a loss to earn honorable mention All-American honors
As a senior he had 112 tackles, and led the Spartans with a single-game career-high 16 tackles in their upset of then-No. 1 ranked Michigan University.
During his career, he helped the Spartans to a 31-14-3 record, two Big Ten titles and four bowl game
s.
in the 2nd round of the 1991 NFL Draft
.
He had great speed and could hit, so he was moved to strongside linebacker.
During his 4 seasons with the Cowboys, Edwards helped them win Super Bowl XXVII
, Super Bowl XXVIII
and Super Bowl XXX
.
In the 90's, the Cowboys organization felt they could find linebackers through the draft, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap, so they allowed talented and productive players like Ken Norton, Jr., Darrin Smith
, Robert Jones
and Randall Godfrey
, to leave via free agency, instead of signing them in to long-term contracts.
In 1996
, after he became a free agent, the Cowboys replaced him by signing Broderick Thomas
.
, where he initially was switched to weakside linebacker.
In 1996
he had the best year of his career, amassing 122 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception.
In 1997
, he was moved back to strongside linebacker position, where his stats started to declined.
He was released after the 1998
season for salary cap reasons. In his three years with the Vikings, Edwards started 43 of the 45 games in which he played. He amassed 250 tackles, five sacks, an interception, two fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and seven passes defensed.
, the Miami Dolphins
signed him to a one-year contract, reuniting him with Jimmy Johnson
. The signing was made to add depth and experience at the outside linebacker
positions, but shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and was waived.
Edwards appeared in 120 regular season contests in his career, starting 90 of them. His NFL career statistics include 573 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions for 54 yards and a touchdown
, four fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles and 19 passes defensed. He also has contributed 50 special teams tackles
AM in Dallas, Dixon is a legend for an interview he did where he said the words "you know" an inordinate number of times to the point where it became unintentionally comedic.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
) is a former 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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
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...
from 1991 through 1998. He 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...
at Michigan State University
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
and was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft
1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 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 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
.
Early years
Born on March 25, 1968, Edwards prepped at Aiken High SchoolAiken High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Aiken High School is a public high school located Cincinnati, Ohio. The school, which opened in 1962, is part of Cincinnati Public Schools. Aiken houses two programs: Aiken College & Career High School and Aiken University High School....
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, where he earned all-district honors as a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
and defensive tackle.
He attended Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, where in his first season as a starter in 1989, he finished second on the club in tackles and tied for the team lead in tackles for a loss to earn honorable mention All-American honors
As a senior he had 112 tackles, and led the Spartans with a single-game career-high 16 tackles in their upset of then-No. 1 ranked Michigan University.
During his career, he helped the Spartans to a 31-14-3 record, two Big Ten titles and four bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s.
Dallas Cowboys
Edwards, was drafted by the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the 2nd round of the 1991 NFL Draft
1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 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 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
.
He had great speed and could hit, so he was moved to strongside linebacker.
During his 4 seasons with the Cowboys, Edwards helped them win Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion...
, Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
and Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
.
In the 90's, the Cowboys organization felt they could find linebackers through the draft, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap, so they allowed talented and productive players like Ken Norton, Jr., Darrin Smith
Darrin Smith
Darrin Andrew Smith is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. While with Dallas he won two Super Bowl rings. At different times in his pro career he has played all...
, Robert Jones
Robert Jones (American football)
Robert Lee Jones is a former American football linebacker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the St...
and Randall Godfrey
Randall Godfrey
Randall Euralentris Godfrey is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. Godfrey played college football at the University of Georgia, where he majored in housing and consumer economics. He also played High School Football at Lowndes High School in Valdosta Georgia...
, to leave via free agency, instead of signing them in to long-term contracts.
In 1996
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, after he became a free agent, the Cowboys replaced him by signing Broderick Thomas
Broderick Thomas
Broderick Lee Thomas is a former professional American football player in the National Football League.-High school career:Thomas graduated from Madison High School in Houston in 1985.-College career:...
.
Minnesota Vikings
Edwards signed with the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, where he initially was switched to weakside linebacker.
In 1996
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
he had the best year of his career, amassing 122 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception.
In 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, he was moved back to strongside linebacker position, where his stats started to declined.
He was released after the 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
season for salary cap reasons. In his three years with the Vikings, Edwards started 43 of the 45 games in which he played. He amassed 250 tackles, five sacks, an interception, two fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and seven passes defensed.
Miami Dolphins
In 19991999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, 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...
signed him to a one-year contract, reuniting him with Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
. The signing was made to add depth and experience at the outside linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
positions, but shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and was waived.
Edwards appeared in 120 regular season contests in his career, starting 90 of them. His NFL career statistics include 573 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions for 54 yards and 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:...
, four fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles and 19 passes defensed. He also has contributed 50 special teams tackles
Trivia
On KTCKKTCK
KTCK , is a sports talk radio station based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The station, currently owned by Cumulus Media, has been made popular by the incorporation of humor alongside the sports talk....
AM in Dallas, Dixon is a legend for an interview he did where he said the words "you know" an inordinate number of times to the point where it became unintentionally comedic.