Tucsonan, ex-Wildcat Drew Dixon leading hometown Sugar Skulls

Drew Dixon is in a class of his own — and could be the subject of a sports trivia question at a Tucson dive bar.

Several Tucsonans have played for the Tucson Sugar Skulls, and linebacker Rashie Hodge became the first Arizona Wildcat to play for the Old Pueblo’s Indoor Football League franchise two years ago.

Dixon? He’s the first Tucson native and ex-Wildcat to play for the Sugar Skulls (0-1), which is hosting their home opener on Saturday against the Jacksonville Sharks (2-0).

“Just being from Tucson and playing at Arizona, knowing how much the Tucson fans support us, it means a lot,” Dixon said. “When we’re on the field performing, we’re not just performing for ourselves. The community backs us up and supports us. It means a lot that we can take every detail seriously, so we can put on a good game for our fans.”

Sugar Skulls second-year head coach Billy Back said “having a guy with a sense of pride for the town, the city, the state, it’s key for us, because that fuels more enthusiasm and the get-done state (of mind) to have guys from this town and the city and can carry it on their back.”

Born at Tucson Medical Center, Dixon spent the majority of his life in Tucson. He played youth football for the Tucson Cowboys, then starred at Sabino High School under head coach Jay Campos, who’s now at Mica Mountain.

Dixon’s length and athleticism earned him a spot on Sabino’s varsity team as a freshman, but he had a minimal role and his first year with the Sabercats “got me mentally prepared to be a role player for the Sabercats” as a sophomore, Dixon said.

Dixon initially played wide receiver, but moved to quarterback as a junior and led the Sabercats to an appearance in the Class 3A state championship in 2016. In addition to quarterback, Dixon played receiver and running back, and returned kicks. Dixon amassed 5,310 yards and 62 touchdowns at Sabino and received a “great opportunity to play for the Wildcats.”

Dixon was recruited by the staff of former UA head coach Rich Rodriguez, with wide receivers coach Tony Dews and quarterbacks coach Rod Smith leading the charge. That’s when Dixon’s quarterback career came to a halt.

“Once I showed my versatility and athleticism, they were like, ‘We want you to learn how to play receiver and learn a different part of the game and perfect your craft there,’” Dixon said. “That’s what I ended up doing. I had offers to play strictly quarterback, but for my future, wide receiver was the better fit for me. It ended up helping me out.”

Dixon signed with Arizona in 2017 and played four seasons with the hometown Wildcats — three of them were under head coach Kevin Sumlin, who was fired after Dixon’s last season with the program in 2020. The Wildcats were 9-20 under Sumlin.

“Three seasons with Kevin Sumlin, everyone in Tucson knows how that era went,” Dixon said. “We lost a whole bunch of games. We had all the weapons we needed, but it came down to the details in the playbook and the business of college football. ... All of my teammates during that time, we stuck together and believed in each other. That coaching staff, they’re great people, but we couldn’t win games and that’s tough on a lot of people and it affects careers.”

In four seasons at Arizona, Dixon caught 17 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. His top performance was a four-catch, 46-yard and one-touchdown outing against Northern Arizona in 2019.

Shortly after Jedd Fisch was hired to replace Sumlin, Dixon entered the transfer portal on New Year’s Eve in 2020.

“It was a tough decision,” Dixon said. “I had to really trust God and take a leap of faith. With how my career had gone at that point, I had to make a decision for my life to maybe get out of Tucson and showcase my talents with hopes of going to the NFL.”

Dixon took the year off from playing, but attended classes at the UA in 2021. In 2022, Dixon signed with Limestone College — a Division II school in Gaffney, South Carolina — led by former NFL wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who played a decade with the Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. Dixon appeared in 17 games and had 72 receptions for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns for Limestone.

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“When you learn from guys who have been in this league that long, it just helps your game elevate,” Dixon said.

Dixon met his wife, Leilani, who’s originally from New Zealand, at Limestone College.

“When something is meant to be and destined, it just clicks,” Dixon said. “When I met my wife, it was so clear to us that we were each other’s person.”

The Dixons have two sons: Zoa, who’s nearly 2 years old, and Malakai, who was born two months ago. Zoa Dixon’s first word was “ball.”

“He can throw the ball so good already,” the older Dixon said. “I’m so impressed with the athleticism and how it transferred to him. I think sky’s the limit for him. I know he’s still young, but he’s destined to be an athlete.”

Dixon’s “life has totally changed” since having kids, he said. “Being able to balance being a husband and a father and still chase the dream — I have a lot more on my back now and I’m blessed to hold that.”

After his career at Limestone, Dixon had a rookie minicamp stint with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, but was waived.

Dixon is hopeful his stint with the Sugar Skulls will land him on the NFL path again — and it could mean him playing quarterback for the first time in nearly a decade in addition to his role at wide receiver.

“Once I went into free agency and got this opportunity with the Tucson Sugar Skulls, I could play wide receiver but Coach Back looked into my past and saw my athleticism, now I’m playing quarterback again,” Dixon said. “It’s just about being ready and perfect my athleticism and train for every position, whether it’s receiver or quarterback.”

The 6-4, 208-pound Dixon “has gotten better every day” since signing with Tucson, according to Back.

“Day 1 of camp, he looked like a baby deer trying to walk,” said Back.

Added Back: “He can play quarterback, play receiver and he’s developed into a guy that we can lean on and count on. We’re excited about him. He’s all of 6-3 or 6-4 and he’s actually playing like his height, which is good to have.”

Adjusting to a 50-yard indoor field and eight-on-eight football wasn’t simple for Dixon.

“The game is a lot faster,” he said. “You have to get into the windows fast, and there’s only eight people on the field, so the spacing and timing is different. ... Indoor football is a different game, but Coach Back has done very good at just making sure we’re prepared and ready to win games. Being able to play in my hometown, it means a lot. Being back for the Tucson fans, we’ve got a great community and I just look forward to performing and doing well for our fans.”

If all goes according to plan, Dixon could return to 11-on-11 football played in the fall for an NFL team.

“That’s the goal,” Dixon said. “Being able to play indoor football and dominate, that’s what I look forward to. Displaying that I can play multiple positions and be good at them, I don’t see why I wouldn’t get an opportunity (in the NFL).”