Tom Dixon (American football)

{{Short description|American football player (born 1961)}}

{{Distinguish|Tom Dixon (Canadian football)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

|name=Tom Dixon

|image=

|position=Center

|number=69

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1961|8|21}}

|birth_place=

|death_date=

|high_school=Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Dwenger

|college=Michigan

|suppdraftyear=1984

|suppdraftround=2

|suppdraftpick=52

|teams=

• Michigan Panthers ({{USFL Year|1984}})

|highlights=

• First-team All-American (1983)
• 2× First-team All-Big Ten (1982, 1983)

}}

Tom Dixon (born August 21, 1961) is a former American football player. He played college football at the University of Michigan and professional football for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL). He was a first-team All-American at the center position in 1983.

Dixon grew up in Indiana and attended Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana.{{cite web|title=Bishop Dwenger Hall of Fame|accessdate=March 18, 2015|publisher=Bishop Dwenger High School|url=http://www.bishopdwenger.com/content.php?id=61&category=}} He enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1980 and played for Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1980 to 1983.{{cite web|title=Michigan Football Roster Database|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|accessdate=March 18, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/football.php}}{{cite news|title=Dixon: Decisions, Decisions; Job of Wolverine Center Physical and Cerebral|author=John Gugger|newspaper=Toledo Blade|date=October 28, 1982|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19821027&id=1-VPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5418,1719095&hl=en}} Dixon started every game for the Wolverines in the 1981, 1982, and 1983 seasons.{{cite web|title=1981 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|accessdate=March 18, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1981fbt.htm}}{{cite web|title=1982 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|accessdate=March 18, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1982fbt.htm}}{{cite web|title=1983 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|accessdate=March 18, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1983fbt.htm}} As a junior, he was selected by both the conference coaches (UPI) and media (AP) as the first-team center on the 1982 All-Big Ten Conference football team.{{cite news|title=Carter, Bostic, Lukens Top All-Big Ten Football Team|newspaper=The Blade, Toledo, Ohio (AP story)|author=Joe Mooshil|date=November 30, 1982|page=26|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19821130&id=rE5PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vgIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6734,4951775}}{{cite web|title=Michigan dominates All-Big Ten squads|author=Barry Minkoff|newspaper=The Bryan Times (UPI story)|date=November 23, 1982|page=13|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=799&dat=19821122&id=UMRTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=54cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6395,4941764&hl=en}} As a senior, he was selected by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association and the Sporting News as a first-team center on the 1983 College Football All-America Team.

In April 1984, Dixon signed to play professional football for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL).{{cite news|title=Michigan Sports Briefs|newspaper=The Argus-Press|date=April 19, 1984|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1988&dat=19840419&id=XUIiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UK0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3232,4396858&hl=en}} He played for the Panthers in 1984, but the team disbanded after the 1984 season. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had selected him in the second round of the 1984 Supplemental Draft,{{Cite web |title=1984 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1984/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} in May 1985,{{cite news|title=Steelers sign eight free agents|newspaper=Gettysburg Times|date=May 9, 1985|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19850509&id=yJoyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=regFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6278,4979778&hl=en}} then quit the team in late July 1985.{{cite news|title=Steelers Fall Out of Line|newspaper=Observer-Reporter|date=July 26, 1985|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19850726&id=om9iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2HYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3603,3302442&hl=en}}