Rickey Dixon played in the 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1988 Orange Bowls, in two National Championship games, and was a key figure in Oklahoma's 1985 National Championship win over Penn State in the 1986 Orange Bowl.
A consensus All-American in 1987, Dixon was the first Sooner to win the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in the country. He shared the Award with Miami's Bennie Blades. He won all-conference honors in 1986 and 1987.
The defining game of Dixon's collegiate career was the 1987 contest against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Hyped as the "Game of the Century II", playing on the moniker given the 1971 contest between Oklahoma and Nebraska, Nebraska was favored at home in Lincoln, boasting the #1 offense in the country.
The Sooners came in ranked #2 in the nation, and sporting the #1 defense in the country. Nebraska quarterback Steve Taylor came into the game boasting that the Sooners could not compete against the Cornhuskers. It was Dixon's two interceptions of Taylor in the game (one to set up a short touchdown drive, and one late in the fourth quarter to seal the win) that put the Cornhuskers away and guaranteed Oklahoma a shot at the Miami Hurricanes in the 1988 Orange Bowl. In the Orange Bowl, Dixon had another key interception to set up a Sooner touchdown drive in a game that Miami eventually won, 20-14.
Dixon finished his career with 170 total tackles and 17 interceptions (second only to Darrell Royal for the school record). During his senior year, he had nine interceptions for 232 yards which remain school records for the Sooners.
Dixon was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in 2014. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
Adapted from The Font of All Wisdom and Knowledge.
