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Keisean Nixon

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Keisean Nixon
refer to caption
Nixon in 2023
No. 25 – Green Bay Packers
Position:Cornerback
Return specialist
Personal information
Born: (1997-06-22) June 22, 1997 (age 27)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Salesian
(Los Angeles, California)
College:Arizona Western (2015–2016)
South Carolina (2017–2018)
Undrafted:2019
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2024
Total tackles:211
Sacks:2.5
Forced fumbles:3
Fumble recoveries:2
Pass deflections:15
Interceptions:3
Return yards:2,575
Return touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Keisean Nixon (born June 22, 1997) is an American professional football cornerback and return specialist for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona Western before transferring to South Carolina, and was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

Early years

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Nixon grew up in Compton, California and attended Salesian High School in Los Angeles, where he ran track and played running back and cornerback on the football team. He missed a large portion of his senior season due to a broken collarbone.[1]

College career

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Nixon in college at South Carolina in 2018

Nixon began his collegiate career at Arizona Western College. As a freshman, he made 36 tackles with five interceptions and four pass breakups and was named a second-team All-NJCAA All-American as a sophomore after intercepting six passes (two returned for touchdowns) with five pass breakups and two kicks returned for touchdowns.[2] Nixon transferred to the University of South Carolina for the final two years of his NCAA eligibility.[3]

Nixon played mostly on special teams and as a reserve defensive back in his first season at South Carolina, playing in all 12 of the Gamecocks games with a fumble recovery and an interception. As a senior, Nixon started 11 games and led the team with nine passes broken up and finished third with 63 tackles.[4]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 10+1⁄4 in
(1.78 m) 		196 lb
(89 kg) 		30+3⁄4 in
(0.78 m) 		9+3⁄4 in
(0.25 m)		 4.42 s 1.56 s 2.60 s 4.52 s 7.28 s 32.5 in
(0.83 m)		 10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)		 10 reps
All values from Pro Day[5]

Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders

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Nixon signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2019.[6] He made his NFL debut on September 9, 2019, against the Denver Broncos.[7] Nixon finished his rookie season with 12 tackles, one pass defended and three kickoffs returned for 63 yards in 14 games played.[8]

On September 2, 2021, Nixon was placed on injured reserve.[9] He was activated on October 9.[10]

Green Bay Packers

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2022

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Nixon signed with the Green Bay Packers on March 26, 2022.[11]

On September 25, 2022, in his second game on the active roster for the Packers, Nixon recorded seven combined tackles and one forced fumble in a Week 3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[12]

Though Nixon saw defensive snaps throughout the 2022 season, the Packers began to utilize him more often as a return specialist in October. Beginning on October 16 during a Week 6 loss to the New York Jets, Nixon returned 35 kickoffs for 1,009 yards (with five returns of 50 yards or more), the only player in the NFL to record more than 1,000 yards that year.[13] On January 1, 2023, Nixon returned a kickoff 105 yards for his first NFL touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings, swinging the game's momentum in the Packers' favor and propelling them to a 41–17 victory that kept their playoff hopes alive.[14] He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.[15] Nixon finished the season as the NFL's leading kick returner, and was named a first-team member of the 2022 All-Pro Team at that position, receiving 44 out of 50 first-place votes.[16]

2023

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On March 15, 2023, Nixon re-signed with the Packers on a 1-year $4 million contract.[17]

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters during the offseason that he was exploring ways to utilize Nixon on the offensive side of the ball.[18] Nixon worked through some individual drills with the offense during training camp;[19] he finally saw his first action as an offensive player on September 24, 2023, during a Week 3 win over the New Orleans Saints, recording one carry for 11 yards.[20] Nixon got his second career interception when he picked off Patrick Mahomes during a 27–19 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13.[21] He was named to the 2023 All-Pro Team.[22] In the Wild Card playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys, Nixon led the team with 11 combined tackles while getting his first career sack on a Dak Prescott scramble, which knocked the Cowboys out of field goal range.[23] The following week against the San Francisco 49ers, Nixon had 5 combined tackles on defense. He also returned one of San Francisco's kickoffs for 73 yards midway through the third quarter, but fumbled the football. It was ultimately recovered by teammate Eric Wilson.[24] The Packers lost the game 24–21.

2024

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Nixon signed a 3 year, $18 million contract extension on March 15, 2024, keeping him in Green Bay through the 2026 season.[25] On March 26, the NFL announced that kickoffs during the 2024 season would be modified in a trial for new, safer kickoff rules that may also allow for more exciting kickoff returns as Nixon looks to defend his position as the league leader in kickoff return yardage for a second consecutive season.[26]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Led the league
Bold Career-high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Kick returns Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast TFL Sck PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR
2019 OAK 14 0 12 12 0 0 0.0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 63 21.0 26 0 0 0
2020 LV 15 1 14 9 5 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 21 7.0 18 0 0 0
2021 LV 11 1 12 7 5 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2022 GB 17 4 23 18 5 1 0.0 2 1 1 1.0 1 0 35 1,009 28.8 105T 1 1 0
2023 GB 17 13 80 59 21 3 0.5 6 1 2 2.0 2 0 30 782 26.1 51 0 0 2
2024 GB 1 0 7 6 1 2 1.0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 24 24.0 24 0 0 0
Career 75 19 148 111 37 6 1.5 10 2 3 1.5 2 0 72 1899 26.4 105T 1 1 2
Source: pro-football-reference.com

Postseason

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Kick returns Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast TFL Sck PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD Ret Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR
2021 LV 1 0 2 0 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2023 GB 2 1 16 10 6 1 1.0 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 97 48.5 73 0 0 0
Career 3 1 18 10 8 1 1.0 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 97 48.5 73 0 0 0
Source: pro-football-reference.com

Personal life

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Throughout the first four years of Nixon's NFL career, rumors persisted that he was the nephew of rapper Snoop Dogg.[27][28][29] However, Nixon told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2022 that, while he did play in Snoop's nonprofit Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL) in high school, they are not actually related.[30]

Notes

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  1. ^ Selected as a kick returner

References

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  1. ^ Tully, Jeff (November 19, 2014). "Burbank football battered, but still standing in playoffs". Burbank Leader. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "Gamecocks Ink Two JUCO Defensive Backs". Live5News.com. December 16, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  3. ^ Floyd, Thomas (August 28, 2017). "JUCO transfer Keisean Nixon to make an immediate impact for South Carolina". Garnet and Black Attack. SB Nation. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  4. ^ Cook, Joe (April 28, 2019). "Tigers and Gamecocks receive free agent deals after NFL Draft". WLTX.com. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  5. ^ "2019 Draft Scout Keisean Nixon, South Carolina NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  6. ^ Breiner, Ben (April 27, 2019). "Gamecocks' Keisean Nixon headed back to west coast to start NFL career". The State. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  7. ^ Bair, Scott (September 10, 2019). "Raiders snap count: Darren Waller moved all around, never left field". NBC Sports Bay Area. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  8. ^ Del Bianco, John (March 16, 2020). "NFL Gamecocks: Who is a free agent, who is under contract". 247Sports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  9. ^ "Raiders announce practice squad additions". Raiders.com. September 2, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  10. ^ "Arnette, Mullen Jr. and Carrier placed on IR". Raiders.com. October 9, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  11. ^ "Packers sign CB Keisean Nixon". packers.com. March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  12. ^ "Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – September 25th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  13. ^ Kruse, Zach (January 13, 2023). "Packers kickoff returner Keisean Nixon named first-team All-Pro in 2022". USA Today. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  14. ^ "Rodgers, Packers rout Vikings 41–17, control playoff fate". ESPN. Associated Press. January 1, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  15. ^ Smith, Coral (January 4, 2023). "Buccaneers WR Mike Evans, Chargers RB Austin Ekeler lead Players of the Week". National Football League. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  16. ^ Kruse, Zach (January 13, 2023). "Packers kickoff returner Keisean Nixon named first-team All-Pro in 2022". USA Today. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  17. ^ "Packers re-sign CB Keisean Nixon, TE Tyler Davis". packers.com. March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  18. ^ Kruse, Zach (March 28, 2023). "Packers open to using All-Pro returner Keisean Nixon on offense in 2023". PackersWire. USAToday.com. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  19. ^ Bretl, Paul (July 29, 2023). "Keisean Nixon working with Packers offense in individual drills". Dairyland Express. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  20. ^ Huber, Bill (September 24, 2023). "Live Updates: Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints". Packer Central. SI.com. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  21. ^ "Packers 27-19 Chiefs (Dec 3, 2023) Game Recap". ESPN. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  22. ^ "2023 NFL All-Pro Team Roster". AP News. January 12, 2024. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  23. ^ "Packers 48-32 Cowboys (Jan 14, 2024) Play-by-Play". ESPN. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  24. ^ "49ers 24-21 Packers (Jan 20, 2024) Play-by-Play". ESPN. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  25. ^ "Packers re-sign CB Keisean Nixon and RB AJ Dillon". Packers.com. March 15, 2024.
  26. ^ "New NFL Kickoff Rule | NFL Football Operations". operations.nfl.com. March 26, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  27. ^ Martin, Kyle (August 25, 2019). "Undrafted rookie Keisean Nixon continues to flourish in preseason competition". Raiders.com. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  28. ^ Wilde, Jason (March 26, 2022). "Packers add ex-Raiders cornerback Keisean Nixon, Snoop Dogg's nephew and — they hope — a key special-teams addition". KenoshaNews.com. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  29. ^ "2022 NFL season's top 10 return specialists: Keisean Nixon, Nyheim Hines lead the group". National Football League. January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  30. ^ Kuhagen, Christopher (January 6, 2023). "Keisean Nixon is the Packers' new electrifying kickoff returner. Here's what you should know about him, including his connection to Snoop Dogg". JSOnline.com. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
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