Dixon was selected No. 2 overall by the Hartford Colonials and will join the upstart league for 2010. For Dixon, it ends 6 weeks that at times were unbearable. I was in the war room when the Colonials made the pick and Dixon shook Colonials coach Chris Palmer's hand and then did so with the rest of his staff. It was probably the first real smile he cracked since the end of the NFL Draft.
"“I didn’t sign a free agent and I didn’t know where I was going. I felt out of control. You always feel a certain weight when its out of your hands. What was my next move? When you can’t control something you feel like it's a dead end.”
Dixon always believed in himself.
“I knew I was a good enough athlete to play something. CFL, AFL, all of those options passed through my mind. I wasn’t going to get a job. I think I am too talented for 9-5 right now. Getting a job part didn’t cross my mind."
The disappointment of not getting drafted still rests with Dixon. He knows why he wasn't taken. Whenever a projected late round pick can't even get an invite to camp means there is something else at play.
"My off the field issues shied teams away," Dixon said. "I can honestly say that. S lot of teams had great things to say to me, but with how strict the NFL is now, and how they don’t tolerate any negativity I was too much of a risk. There were too many red flags around me.”
Dixon had to go down to Danbury and pay his $60 to tryout. He wasn't humbled however, and instead went out and lit the camp of fire. Chris Palmer came over to me at the logo unveiling and mentioned how Dixon can do a lot of things catching the ball that Brian Westbrok can do. This was a part of his game UConn really never exploited (much to my dismay, I had been clamoring for that for two years), but if he does eventually end in the NFL it will be because of that skill.
I would be remiss to not give my opinion on the UFL and the Colonials. There is legit talent on the roster and some names. Ahmad Carroll will be on the Colonials and the QBs currently on the roster include Andre Wooodson (Kentucky) former LSU QB Ryan Perrilloux and Pittsburgh's Bill Stull as well as Josh McCown. There is also going to be a significant QB signing later in June.
I know there is a lot of skepticism about the team and league, but I get the feeling talking to everyone involved -- it's legit..They had their ducks in a row and a plan before they landed in Hartford. For example, Chris Palmer isn't going to jump into this league because he needed the job.
Nearly all the executives are former NFL executives, and the league eventually will get major backing from the NFL as a developmental league (NFL desperately needs a developmental league). The quality of the league is going to be so far superior to the XFL and World League it isn't even worth discussing. This is going to be a league of NFL caliber players, not the CT Seawolves of the Arena League. I would say it's Triple A caliber football. You will recognize the names.
People think that this is some kind of mom and pop shop and they are just looking to sell some seats as glorified semi-pro. It can't be further from the case. These guys have done their home work and more importantly know what they are doing. This isn't some pie in the sky enterprise.
The quality will be there, the professionalism will be there, and they are going to run things first class. I think the league is going to stick around. Will it do so in Hartford? I don't know, that's up to the fans, but if people think this is some fly by night organization they are misinformed.
It's a real league, and they know what they are doing.
1 comment:
"The quality of the league is going to be so far superior to the XFL and World League it isn't even worth discussing."
Have to disagree about a million percent here. The XFL had some serious quality -- look no further than Tommy Maddox as the league's MVP and future starter for the Steelers. People always forget the XFL's first game did a MONSTER rating on NBC because people were intrigued by an alternative to the NFL. They didn't deliver but that's the market -- an alternative to the NFL (smash mouth, old school football, etc.)
I'd be absolutely stunned if the UFL makes it to Year 3. Their schedule is the craziest thing I've ever seen. They're going to try to play on Saturdays during the heart of the college football season??? Yeah, good luck with that.
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