SCOUTING REPORT: Future defenseman to bring all-around ability to UCLA
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 8, 2002 9:00 p.m.
Mike Nixon “¢bull; Even while playing all four
positions, the majority of college coaches believed his future
destination would be safety. “¢bull; Very smart defensively because
he has played a lot of quarterbacks and knows how quarterbacks
think. “¢bull; Look for Toledo to take advantage of his versatility
by using him in trick plays and special teams. “¢bull; Solid speed
and is looking to get stronger and bigger as well. “¢bull; Footwork
and fundamentals aren’t what they could be had he
concentrated on one position.
By Bruce Tran
Daily Bruin Contributor
[email protected]
He has the arm of a Top 20 quarterback and the hitting ability
of 200-pound safety. He’s kicked a pair of 52-yard field
goals in his high school career, and he averaged 44.4 yards per
punt this past year.
But to truly find Mike Nixon’s position, you’d have
to go by what his high school football coach calls him ““
athlete. And while that position doesn’t literally exist on
the football field, no better word describes Nixon.
Aside from playing four positions in football, Nixon was a star
forward in basketball and expects to be drafted by a Major League
Baseball team.
“Football’s my favorite sport, but baseball’s
a close second,” Nixon said. “All three sports have a
lot of different aspects, but I love the fans in football and being
able to hit people. It’s unlike anything else.”
Indeed, UCLA football coaches are bringing Nixon to Westwood as
a safety. As the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, he picked up
109 tackles and eight interceptions for Sunnyslope High School.
Additionally, as quarterback, Nixon completed 153 of 261 passes for
2,636 yards and 34 touchdowns. On special teams, he kicked six
field goals and 42 PATs.
“He’s a very intelligent and athletic player who
makes things happen,” UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said.
“We’re going to give him a long look at safety, but
he’s very versatile and we could use him at a lot of
places.”
“Heck, we might even use him as a punter,” added
Toledo, laughing.
Nixon committed during a recruiting trip that allowed him to
attend the UCLA-Kansas game in which the Bruins upset the then
No.1-ranked Jayhawks. The fact the fans stormed the court was a
huge selling point for Nixon, who relishes the opportunity to play
in front of 80,000 Bruin fans.
Besides the fans, another selling point was that the Bruins
wanted him to play defense.
Courtesy of Mike Nixon Mike Nixon, shown here
kicking a field goal, is a do-it-all kind of athlete.
“UCLA and Stanford wanted me for defensive back, Notre
Dame and ASU wanted me for quarterback and Washington wanted me for
anywhere,” Nixon said. “But I love playing
defense. I feel it’s where my future’s at, and I think
I have the most potential at that position.”
He’s been a part of huge upsets before. Against two-time
Arizona state champion Chaparral HS of Scottsdale, Ariz. ““ a
team that had routed Sunnyslope 45-21 the year before ““ Nixon
came up with the typical “athlete” performance. In a
23-12 surprise victory, he threw for 176 yards and one touchdown
while rushing for 114 yards and another touchdown. On special
teams, he kicked a 40-yard field goal. Defensively, he had eight
tackles. All of this against a team that had set a state class
record with its 28-game winning streak.
As for baseball, Nixon’s plans are still somewhat in the
air. He has worked out for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona
Diamondbacks and is considering signing a contract to play during
the summer, much like current football players Matt Ware and Ricky
Manning. However, should the professional baseball route not work
out, Nixon might still join the Bruin baseball team.
“Baseball’s great, but the fan base isn’t the
same,” Nixon said. “Whereas you get hundreds of fans in
baseball, you’ll get tens of thousands of fans in
football.”
Despite his versatility in high school, UCLA football fans
shouldn’t expect to see Nixon taking snaps from center or
kicking field goals. He says that while he’s open to a
position change, he wants to focus on playing defense.
“If I concentrate on defense from day one, I’ll just
get better with my footwork and everything,” Nixon said.
“There’s just so much to learn, and I’m already
behind from having played four positions in high school.”
While he may be behind, Nixon should have no problems catching
up. He is, after all, one heck of an athlete.
