Dennis Dixon

Dennis Dixon is a Quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers who attended the University of Oregon. He is known for his unique speed and quickness in the backfield. He reached his first career start due to injuries on Ben Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch.

College
Dixon opted to grayshirt (attend school part-time and retain eligibility) for the 2003 season and played his freshman season in 2004 behind Kellen Clemens. He appeared in six games, passing for 73 and rushing for 40 yards. In his sophomore season of 2005, he was expected to play primarily in a backup role during Clemens's senior season. However, against Arizona, Clemens broke his ankle, and Dixon came into the game, though he later left with a concussion. With Clemens out for the season, Dixon split time with fellow sophomore QB Brady Leaf and guided the Ducks to four regular season wins and a second place finish in the Pac-10, before dropping a 17-14 loss in the Holiday Bowl against Oklahoma.

Prior to his junior season in 2006, Dixon was named full-time starter by head coach Mike Bellotti. He led the Ducks to a 4-0 start, including a 34-33 comeback victory over the Oklahoma Sooners. After a win over Arizona State, the Ducks lost 48-24 to Cal before Dixon's hometown crowd. After being benched in favor of Brady Leaf, Oregon went on to lose three of their four final games and finished with a 7-6 record. Despite his shortened season, Dixon still finished the season fourth in the conference in total offense (219.3 yards per game). Dixon was named the league’s second-team academic all-conference quarterback. In June 2007, he graduated from Oregon with a degree in sociology and a 3.27 grade point average.

In 2007, Bellotti again named Dixon, now a senior, the starter prior to the season. The season started off quickly for Dixon against Houston, in which Dixon accumulated 141 yards rushing, the most ever by an Oregon quarterback. The following week against Michigan, Dixon threw for 3 touchdowns and ran for another, generating 368 yards of total offense. Dixon was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week and USA Today National Player of the Week.

In the next two games, he led the Ducks to big wins over Fresno State (where he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another), and Stanford (where he completed 27 of 36 passes for 367 yards and 4 touchdowns and ran for another).

Against Cal, Dixon threw his first 2 interceptions of the season, but led the Ducks down the field in the final minute for a potential tying score before Cameron Colvin fumbled the ball through the end zone in the final seconds for Oregon's first loss of the season.

Wins in the following weeks over Pac-10 powers USC and Arizona State pushed Oregon to a #2 ranking in the BCS poll and first place in the Pac-10. During the Arizona State game, he left the game with a torn ACL, but was cleared to play two weeks later against Arizona. In the first quarter of that game, he ran 39 yards for a touchdown, but a few plays later, his left knee buckled and he left the game because he suffered an injury, and the Ducks went on to lose 34-24. It was then revealed that Dixon had torn the ACL in his left knee against Arizona State and aggravated it against Arizona. In the last game of the season against arch rival Oregon State, they lost and the Beavers broke the streak of the last 10 years in which the home team had always won. Without Dixon, and following an injury to backup Brady Leaf as well as a long list of injuries to the entire Duck team, the Ducks lost the last two games of the season, but went on to defeat South Florida 56-21 in the 2007 Sun Bowl as Dixon watched from the sideline and continued to cheer on his team.

After undergoing surgery to repair his torn ACL, Dixon walked with no apparent limp at the NFL Combine headquarters in Indianapolis in February. Dixon was unable to perform any Combine drills, but worked out at Oregon's Pro Day and held impressive individual workouts later

NFL Career
In the 2008 NFL Draft, Dixon was taken in the 5th round (156th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was speculated that he could be used in the manner that the Steelers used Antwaan Randle-El (a college quarterback turned NFL receiver).

Dennis passed for a combined 12 for 24 in passing attempts in two 2008 preseason games, in addition, he ran for a 47 yard touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.On December 28, 2008, Dixon completed his first official NFL pass to Hines Ward—the reception was Ward's 800th.

Dixon was deactivated for most of the 2008 season as the third-string quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich. He received a Super Bowl ring after Super Bowl XLIIII.

Dixon made his first career start on November 29, 2009 against the Baltimore Ravens after injuries suffered by Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch a week earlier moved him up the depth chart.