Tag Archives: james dixon

Arena, NFL

Dixon, James (2)


Cards: Score 1990, ProSet 1990, Topps 1990
Acquired: TTM 2017, C/o Home
Sent: 8/21    Received: 9/12    (21 days)
See Also: James Dixon

James is notable as he helped rookie Troy Aikman break the NFL rookie passing record (at the time) with 203 yards receiving, including that 75 yard bomb.  He also set the club mark with his 1,181 kick off return yards, breaking the mark previously set by Mel Renfro back in 1964- all in his rookie season.  Still he’s fallen into relative obscurity over the years and lives comfortably in Texas.

James Dixon was quite lucky. He played on a terrible Cowboys squad, but stuck out enough to get noticed before he faded off into obscurity. It was enough that 4 major brands (Topps, ProSet, Score, and Action Packed) all put out cards of him. After returning to the hobby, I was surprised that he didn’t appear in any lists on websites or any fans were clamoring for his address, so after many years, I decided to go ahead and do some sleuthing and figure out where he was at. He did not disappoint, signing these 3 cards in under a month.

 

Arena, NFL

Dixon, James

Card: Action Packed 1990
Acquired: In person, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1990

I think James Dixon was the first Action Packed card I ever got autographed.  After being cut by the Detroit Lions in the preseason, James would be a savvy free agent find by Jimmy Johnson. Originally from the University of Houston in 1989, Dixon was a  speedy special teams player and kick returner.

His rookie season was a great start as James 47 returns led the NFL in 1990, while his 1181 yards would rank 3rd. Dixon’s return numbers in fact were the highest seen by a Dallas Cowboy since the merger. He’d also chock in a 97 yard touchdown. Dixon was the Cowboys primary long bomb threat, averaging just below 20 yards a catch on 477 yards receiving. He’d have 2 TDs receiving, including a 75 yard bomb. These would all be career highs as his return yardage and receiving statistics would slip until 1991 when he only suited up for 7 games. It’d be enough for him to make the cut for Tecmo Super Bowl.

James later resurfaced in the Arena leagues in 1994 playing for Fort Worth. He’d make 9 td grabs on 405 yards.

G/Gs 22/1   Rec  26  Yds 503   Avg 19.3   Td   2   Lg 75t |
KR 101   Yds  2315   Avg 22.9   Td 1    Lg 97t