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Marcus Dixon
Marcus Dixon
from Wikipedia

Marcus Dwayne Dixon (born September 16, 1984) is an American football coach and a former player who is the defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL as a defensive end.

Key Information

Dixon played college football for the Hampton Pirates. He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He also played for the New York Jets.

Dixon is also known for a 2003 court case in which, whilst still at high school, he was convicted of statutory rape and aggravated child molestation. The latter charge was later overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court.[1][2]

Early life

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Dixon was a grade A student and excelled on the football field to the point where he had been offered a full scholarship at Vanderbilt University, which he was unable to undertake due to his subsequent imprisonment.[3]

College career

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Upon his release from prison, Dixon accepted a football scholarship from Division I-AA Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.[4]

Professional career

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Dallas Cowboys

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In 2010, Dixon saw limited playing time during preseason. He was released on September 4, 2010.[5]

New York Jets

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On September 5, 2010, Dixon was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets.[6]

An exclusive rights free agent, Dixon was signed to a one-year contract on January 26, 2011.[7]

Dixon was released on September 1, 2012.[8] He was re-signed to the active roster on September 4.[9] He appeared in 3 games, before being released on September 24.[10]

Kansas City Chiefs

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On February 9, 2013, Dixon was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs.[11] He was cut on August 31.[12]

Tennessee Titans

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On January 3, 2014, Dixon was signed to a futures contract with the Tennessee Titans.[13] He was released during final cuts on August 29.[14]

BC Lions

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On October 20, 2014, Dixon was signed to the BC Lions practice roster in the Canadian Football League.[15] Dixon made his CFL debut in the final game of the regular season against the Calgary Stampeders.[16] He was re-signed on March 2, 2015. Dixon retired from professional baseball on April 30.[17]

Coaching career

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Rams

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The Los Angeles Rams hired Dixon as their assistant defensive line coach on February 23, 2021.[18] Dixon won his first Super Bowl championship when the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.[19]

Denver Broncos

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On February 18, 2022, Dixon was hired by the Denver Broncos to serve as the team's defensive line coach for the 2022 season.[20]

Minnesota Vikings

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On February 9, 2024, Minnesota Vikings hired Dixon to be their new defensive line coach for both the 2024 season and the 2025 season.[21]

Dallas Cowboys

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On February 2, 2026, Dixon was hired by the Dallas Cowboys to serve as the team's defensive line coach.[22]

Personal life

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Dixon v. State

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Kristie Brown alleged that on February 10, 2003, Dixon forced her to have sex, taking her virginity.[23] She has stated that contrary to Dixon's supporters' belief, she was never Dixon's girlfriend and although they shared classes, they barely knew each other. The jury acquitted Dixon of rape, battery, assault and false imprisonment, but because Brown was only 15 and Dixon 18 at the time of the incident found him guilty of statutory rape and aggravated child molestation. Because of this Dixon was convicted at the mandatory amount under Georgia law, ten years imprisonment.[24] If he had been found guilty of rape, he would have faced a much less severe punishment.[24][25]

Supporters of Dixon including the NAACP and the Rev. Joseph Lowery's People's Agenda alleged the charges were racially motivated. The President of the Children's Defense Fund, Marian Wright Edelman called it a "Legal Lynching".[26]

Overturned conviction and release

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The Georgia Supreme Court overturned Dixon's conviction for child molestation and he was released the same day, on May 3, 2004. The court let his conviction for misdemeanor statutory rape stand. After Dixon's release both he and Brown appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in an attempt to clarify their stories.[27]

See also

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References

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Further reading

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Marcus Dwayne Dixon (born September 16, 1984) is an coach and former who has served as the defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the since 2024. A native of , Dixon rose to prominence as a recruit before facing legal challenges that tested his path to . In 2002, as an 18-year-old senior at Rome High School, Dixon engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl, leading to charges of , aggravated child molestation, , and . A acquitted him of and but convicted him of and aggravated child molestation, resulting in a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years without under Georgia law. The aggravated child molestation conviction stemmed from an act of , classified under the as applying to any sexual contact with a minor under 16, though Dixon maintained the encounter was consensual. The Georgia Supreme Court overturned the aggravated child molestation conviction in 2004, ruling that the statute's application to consensual acts lacked the "immoral and depraved" purpose intended by legislators, reducing Dixon's effective sentence and allowing his release after approximately 15 months served. This decision sparked debate over statutory interpretations and sentencing disparities but cleared the way for Dixon to enroll at , where he played . Dixon entered the as an undrafted free agent with the in 2008, later playing for the and other teams until 2013, appearing in 38 games with 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Transitioning to coaching, he worked at , the , and now the , where he has contributed to defensive line development amid roster enhancements. Married with two daughters, Dixon has expressed focus on family and career progression without dwelling on past hardships.

Early Life

Family Background and Upbringing

Marcus Dixon was born on September 16, 1984, in Rome, Georgia, a rural town approximately 70 miles northwest of Atlanta. His biological mother, Michelle (also known as Glenda Loyal), was 15 years old at the time of his birth, while his father, Craig Hawkins, played no role in his upbringing. In his early childhood, Dixon was primarily raised by his maternal grandparents, Glenda Reynolds and Booket, amid challenging family circumstances that included limited parental involvement. Around age 10, he transitioned to the care of Kenneth and Peri Jones, a couple from a neighboring community who formally adopted him when he was 11. The Jones family provided a stable home environment in , where Dixon, an African-American youth in a predominantly conservative Southern setting, developed academically and athletically under their support.

High School Athletic Achievements

Dixon attended Pepperell High School in Lindale, Georgia, where he excelled as a on the football team. Regarded as one of the top in the Southeast, he drew recruiting interest from multiple Division I programs, including several in the . Dixon verbally committed to during his junior year, attracted by the program's academic rigor alongside its football opportunity. He signed a with Vanderbilt on February 6, 2003, securing a full scholarship despite the ' historically weaker football standing within the SEC. Academically, Dixon maintained a 3.96 GPA, earning consistent recognition on the .

The Incident and Initial Charges

On February 10, 2003, Marcus Dwayne Dixon, an 18-year-old senior and star football player at Pepperell High School in Lindale, Georgia, had with a 15-year-old white female classmate inside a portable trailer on the school campus after classes had ended. The girl, a 10th-grader, reported the encounter to authorities, alleging that Dixon had forcibly raped her after luring her into the trailer under . Dixon maintained that the girl had initiated contact by flirting with him earlier that day and that the sexual activity, which included both intercourse and , was entirely consensual, with no force involved. The incident prompted an immediate police investigation, during which the girl claimed Dixon had grabbed her, ignored her protests, and threatened her, while physical evidence included DNA confirming Dixon's involvement but no signs of severe trauma consistent with forcible assault according to defense experts. On March 14, 2003, a Floyd County indicted Dixon on multiple counts: , aggravated child molestation (stemming from the act with a minor under 16), (due to the girl's age), aggravated assault, , and sexual battery. These charges carried potential sentences ranging from misdemeanor penalties for to for , reflecting Georgia 's treatment of sexual offenses involving minors and allegations of force. Dixon, who had no prior , was arrested and held without bond pending trial, amid local attention due to his athletic prominence and the interracial nature of the case.

Trial, Conviction, and Sentencing

Marcus Dixon was indicted on March 14, 2003, in , on charges including , , aggravated assault, , sexual battery, and aggravated child molestation stemming from an alleged sexual encounter with a 15-year-old female student at Pepperell High School. The prosecution argued the encounter was forcible, citing the victim's testimony of resistance, minor vaginal injuries, and bruising on her arms, while Dixon maintained it was consensual. The trial took place in Floyd County Superior Court before a , with proceedings concluding in May 2003. On May 15, 2003, the acquitted Dixon of , aggravated assault, , and sexual battery but convicted him of under OCGA § 16-6-3 and aggravated child molestation under OCGA § 16-6-4, the latter based on the sexual act involving a minor under 16 and evidence of physical injury. was charged as a due to the approximately three-year age difference between Dixon (age 18) and the victim (age 15), per Georgia treating such cases as less severe absent force. On May 23, 2003, Judge Walter J. Matthews sentenced Dixon to a total of 15 years in for the aggravated child molestation conviction, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years to serve before eligibility for , while the conviction merged into the sentence. The aggravated child molestation charge carried severe penalties under Georgia's "" , reflecting legislative intent to harshly punish sexual offenses against minors. Dixon was immediately taken into custody following the sentencing.

Appeal and Overturn by Georgia Supreme Court

Dixon appealed his convictions, challenging the aggravated child molestation charge under OCGA § 16-6-4, arguing that the statute's intent was to safeguard vulnerable children from abusive exploitation rather than to impose penalties on consensual acts between near-age peers. On May 3, 2004, the Georgia Supreme Court, in Dixon v. State, vacated the aggravated child molestation conviction while affirming the misdemeanor conviction under OCGA § 16-6-3. The Court held that the General Assembly did not intend the aggravated child molestation statute to apply to a consensual act between an 18-year-old male and a willing 15-year-old female classmate, as the targets predatory conduct against immature or coerced minors, not situations lacking significant age disparity or force. The ruling eliminated the basis for Dixon's original 15-year sentence (10 years to serve) under Georgia's "" recidivist , OCGA § 17-10-6.1, which mandated minimum terms for certain sexual offenses. With only the remaining, the trial court promptly resentenced Dixon to —roughly 15 months in and prison—and 10 years of , sparing him further incarceration or lifetime registration tied to the vacated . Dixon was released from Floyd County Jail on the day of the Supreme Court's decision. The Court also urged the Georgia Legislature to clarify ambiguities in overlapping child sex s to prevent similar interpretive issues in future cases.

Release, Public Reaction, and Long-Term Implications

The Georgia Supreme Court vacated Dixon's aggravated child molestation conviction on May 3, 2004, ruling unanimously that the statute applied only to acts of —defined as oral or —and not to vaginal intercourse, as occurred in the case; the court upheld his conviction but noted it carried no prison time as a . Dixon was released from Floyd Jail later that day after serving 15 months of a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence, greeted by emotional embraces from his legal guardians outside the facility. Public reaction to the ruling and Dixon's release was sharply divided, with national media framing the case as emblematic of racial tensions in Southern justice: Dixon, a Black high school athlete, had been convicted involving a white 15-year-old accuser, prompting accusations of from supporters who highlighted the consensual nature testified to by the victim and Dixon's on forcible rape. In , the community fractured, with local radio describing the town as "torn apart" amid protests, counter-protests, and debates over athlete privilege versus statutory protections for minors. Critics, including some voices, argued the initial verdict upheld laws against an adult exploiting a minor, regardless of race or consent claims, though the Supreme Court's shifted focus to legislative intent over broad application of felony enhancements. Coverage in outlets like and amplified the controversy, portraying Dixon's plight as a test of whether sports stardom could mitigate legal consequences in racially charged contexts. Long-term implications for Dixon included persistent scrutiny of his character in professional football evaluations; as a prospect, he faced doubts tied to the case despite the overturn, yet signed as an undrafted free agent with the and played for multiple teams over seven seasons. Personally, Dixon expressed no bitterness in later reflections, crediting the ordeal with fueling his resilience while advancing to coaching roles, including with the Minnesota Vikings by 2024. The case exposed interpretive flaws in Georgia's aggravated child molestation statute—intended to target predatory but extended to all sexual acts with minors under 16—prompting legal analyses questioning mandatory minimums' proportionality for near-age consensual encounters and their across racial lines, though no immediate legislative reforms ensued. It underscored causal disconnects between statutory wording and prosecutorial application, influencing discussions on refining age-of-consent exceptions and venue transfers in high-profile teen sex cases to mitigate local biases.

College Football Career

Hampton University

Following his release from prison on July 1, 2004, Dixon enrolled at and joined the team on scholarship as a defensive lineman. He played from 2004 to 2007, primarily at and , and was a four-year starter who also served as team captain for his final three seasons. Dixon's career statistics included an average of nearly 40 tackles per , along with approximately 10 tackles for loss and 10 sacks overall. In his , he appeared in all 12 games—starting six of the last seven—and recorded 38 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks, highlighted by a performance of 5 tackles, 4 tackles for loss (17 yards), 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble against South Carolina State. As a in 2005, starting 9 of 10 games at , he amassed 33 tackles (13 solo), 7 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 interception (against Norfolk State), and 2 forced fumbles, including 7 tackles (4 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sack versus Morgan State. His junior year in 2006 earned him Second Team All-MEAC recognition, as he started all 11 games with 25 total tackles (10 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss (24 yards), and 4 sacks, including 6 tackles (4 solo) and 2 sacks against , plus 5 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery (leading to a ) at Delaware State. Dixon's contributions helped anchor the Pirates' defensive line during his tenure in the (MEAC).

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Dixon did not play for the . After his release from in 2004, he enrolled at , where he competed as a from 2004 to 2007, starting as a four-year letterwinner and earning second-team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honors in 2006. During his tenure at Hampton, he recorded approximately 40 tackles per season on average, along with 10 tackles for loss and multiple sacks, contributing to three MEAC championships. No verifiable records indicate any involvement with UAB's Blazers program, which was competing in during that period.

Professional Playing Career

Dallas Cowboys

Marcus Dixon signed with the as an undrafted on April 27, 2008, shortly after the NFL Draft, securing a three-year contract. Listed as a wearing number 95, he stood at 6 feet 4 inches and weighed 294 pounds at age 23. During his tenure with the Cowboys from 2008 to 2009, Dixon spent both seasons primarily on the practice squad, contributing to team preparations without appearing in regular-season games. He faced challenges including a back injury that hindered his progress toward the active roster. Entering the 2010 , Dixon expressed determination to secure a spot on the 53-man roster, highlighting his resilience amid prior adversities. Dixon's time in represented an opportunity for the Cowboys to evaluate his potential despite his controversial background, as the team afforded him a chance to compete in professional football. Ultimately, he did not record any statistics in regular-season play with the franchise before departing prior to the 2010 season.

New York Jets

Dixon joined the in September 2010 after being waived by the , with the Jets claiming him off waivers the following day. He appeared in 22 games over three seasons (2010–2012) as a , starting four contests. During his tenure, Dixon recorded 21 total tackles (15 solo), 2.5 sacks, one pass defensed, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. His contributions were primarily as a rotational player on the defensive line, providing depth amid injuries and roster adjustments. In 2012, Dixon faced multiple roster transactions: he was released on September 1 during final cuts, re-signed to the active roster on September 5 due to defensive line needs, and released again on September 24. These moves reflected the Jets' ongoing efforts to stabilize their front seven amid performance inconsistencies.

Kansas City Chiefs

Dixon signed with the on February 9, 2013, as an undrafted following his release from the . At 6 feet 4 inches and 295 pounds, he joined the team during the offseason, aiming to compete for a roster spot amid the Chiefs' rebuilding efforts under new head coach . Dixon participated in and preseason activities but did not secure a permanent position on the depth chart. He was released on August 31, 2013, as the Chiefs trimmed their roster from 75 to 53 players ahead of the , marking him as one of the initial cuts in the process. Dixon did not appear in any regular-season games for the Chiefs, concluding his brief tenure without recording statistics.

Tennessee Titans

On January 3, 2014, Dixon signed a reserve/ with the . The deal was a two-year contract valued at $1,390,000, with an average annual salary of $695,000. Dixon spent the ensuing months with the team but was placed on the list early in before being activated to the active roster in August. He was waived during final roster cuts on August 30, 2014, and did not appear in any preseason or regular-season games for the Titans.

BC Lions

Dixon joined the of the Canadian Football League in October 2014, initially on their practice roster as a defensive lineman. He made his CFL debut in the team's final regular-season game on November 7, 2014, against the , a 33–16 loss in which he rotated on the defensive line alongside players such as Rob Lohr and Khalif Mitchell. Dixon appeared in only that single game during the 2014 season, recording no statistics. On March 2, 2015, the Lions announced that he had signed with the team ahead of the upcoming season. Dixon did not play in 2015 and retired from professional football shortly thereafter, transitioning to coaching roles.

Coaching Career

Early Coaching Roles

Dixon began his coaching career at , his alma mater, in 2017, following a professional playing career in the and CFL. From 2017 to 2018, he served as defensive line coach and director of player development for the team. In 2019 and 2020, Dixon transitioned to defensive ends coach, while also taking on responsibilities as recruiting coordinator and continuing in player development. During this period at the FCS-level program, he focused on developing defensive front talent and efforts, drawing on his as a four-year starter on Hampton's defensive line from 2004 to 2007. Prior to his full-time role at Hampton, Dixon had volunteered as a defensive line coach at , a brief stint that preceded his official entry into collegiate coaching. These early positions at the collegiate level provided foundational experience in scheme implementation and player mentoring before his transition to coaching staffs.

Denver Broncos

Marcus Dixon joined the as defensive line coach in February 2022. He held the position for two seasons, overseeing the unit during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. In 2022, under head coach , the Broncos finished with a 5-12 record, with Dixon focusing on developing players like and . The following year, with as head coach, Dixon continued in the role as the team improved to an 8-9 record, emphasizing run defense and pass-rush techniques for linemen including and . His tenure concluded in February 2024 when he departed for the Minnesota Vikings to assume the same position there. Prior to Denver, Dixon's experience included assistant defensive line coaching with the in 2021, contributing to continuity in defensive schemes.

Minnesota Vikings

Marcus Dixon was hired as the defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings on , 2024. In this role, he oversees the development and performance of the team's defensive linemen under Kevin O'Connell's defensive scheme. During the 2024 season, Dixon's defensive line unit limited opposing offenses to 93.5 rushing yards per game, the second-lowest total in the . The group also permitted just five runs of 20 or more yards, again ranking second league-wide. These efforts contributed to the Vikings' overall defensive success, which included league-leading figures of 24 interceptions, 95 passes defensed, a 37.1% opponent fourth-down conversion rate, and 33 takeaways tied for the most in the . The team concluded the with a 14-3 record, securing a playoff berth before falling to the 27-9 in the postseason. Entering the 2025 season, Dixon has highlighted the positive culture fostered by O'Connell and the continued emphasis on player development within the "Dark Side" defensive unit.

References

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