Dennis Dixon: What Could Have Been
Heisman frontrunner. #2 in the country. Then the ACL. The saddest story in Oregon football.
In the fall of 2007, Dennis Dixon was the Heisman Trophy frontrunner and Oregon was ranked #2 in the country. Then he tore his ACL at Arizona on November 15. Oregon's national championship hopes died on that play. Dixon's Heisman campaign died on that play. It is the single most devastating injury in Oregon football history, and every Duck fan of a certain age can tell you exactly where they were when it happened.
#2
AP Ranking
When the ACL happened
1st
Heisman Frontrunner
Before November 15, 2007
3
Seasons as Starter
2005-2007
#156
Draft Pick
2008, Pittsburgh Steelers
The 2007 Season
Oregon opened the 2007 season by destroying Michigan 39-7 at Autzen. Dixon was electric. He ran the Chip Kelly-influenced spread with an athleticism and joy that made him impossible to defend. Oregon climbed to #2 in the AP poll. Dixon was the clear Heisman frontrunner. The national championship game was within reach. It was the highest Oregon football had ever been.
The Injury
November 15, 2007. Arizona. Dixon went down with a torn ACL. He tried to come back in the next game against Arizona State, lasted a few plays, and was done for good. Backup Brady Leaf could not sustain the magic. Oregon lost its last two regular season games and finished 9-4. The season that was going to be the greatest in program history became the most heartbreaking.
What If
If Dixon stays healthy, Oregon likely plays for the national championship in 2007, seven years before the 2014 CFP appearance. Dixon likely wins the Heisman, three years before the vote came to Eugene for Mariota. The entire timeline of the program shifts. Instead, Oregon had to wait. The 'what if' around Dixon's 2007 season is the saddest question in Oregon football history.
Legacy
Dixon was drafted #156 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008. He earned a Super Bowl ring as a backup in 2009. His professional career was modest. His Oregon career, measured by peak rather than duration, was extraordinary. He is ranked #4 among Oregon quarterbacks. Not for the stats, but for what he represented: the first time Oregon was genuinely the best team in the country, however briefly.
Career Highlights
Fact
The ACL Story: Two Games, Not One
Dixon first tore his ACL at Arizona State on November 3, 2007, but kept it secret. He and his family asked coaches not to disclose it, planning to delay surgery until after the season. On November 15 at Arizona, his knee buckled without contact. He was done. Oregon lost that game 34-24.
Stat
20 TDs, 4 INTs, 67.7% Before the Injury
2,136 passing yards through 9 games with a school-record 67.7% completion rate. Oregon was 8-1 and ranked #2 in the BCS. He was the clear Heisman frontrunner.
Record
5th in Heisman Despite Missing 3 Games
Still finished 5th in the 2007 Heisman voting with 17 first-place votes despite not playing the final three regular season games. Tim Tebow won it that year.
Game
Michigan 39-7: The Introduction
Season opener at Autzen. Dixon destroyed Michigan, running the spread with athleticism and joy. 39-7. The game launched his Heisman campaign and announced Oregon as a national title contender.
Game
Arizona State: 4 TDs, Then the Secret
November 3, 2007. Dixon threw 4 TDs and ran for a 39-yard score in a 35-23 win. Late in the 4th quarter, he was taken out after an awkward tackle. The ACL was torn. He told nobody.
NFL
Super Bowl Ring with the Steelers
Drafted 156th overall by Pittsburgh in 2008. Earned a Super Bowl ring as a backup in Super Bowl XLIII (Steelers 27, Cardinals 23). Later joined the Ravens practice squad and got a second ring when they won Super Bowl XLVII.
Fact
From San Leandro, California
Attended San Leandro High School in the East Bay. Threw for 5,951 yards and 79 TDs in high school, leading his team to a 36-3 record. Only losses were 3 straight championship games to De La Salle.
Fact
Still in Oregon
Now works as a performance coach and trainer in the Portland area, running DixonFit. Focused on mentoring young athletes. Describes the gym as his 'stadium, game, and team.'
Sources: Sports Reference, GoDucks.com, ESPN
Where were you when Dixon went down at Arizona?
you hear it building...
end of the third quarter...
54,000 on their feet
AUTZEN IS SHAKING
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