Clemson football offensive coordinator Tony Elliott met with the media after practice Wednesday after practice and brought up a point that not many have talked about – running back Lyn-J Dixon.
With Travis Etienne announcing his return for his senior year with Clemson football, no one has talked about what that meant for the rising junior out of Butler, GA. Dixon was set to be the featured back for the first time since his arrival on campus. While Clemson does not feature running backs like a lot of schools, that still would have meant a lot more carries and a lot more time to prove he could carry the load.
As Tony Elliott pointed out to the media, Dixon could have simply left. He could have taken his game to a lot of other programs where he would have been the featured back and his skill set would have been on display a lot more than it will be in 2020 for Clemson.
Both Etienne and Dixon have shown us in very different ways how much being a Clemson Tiger and a part of the Clemson football program means to these young men. On one hand, you have a young man turning down seven figures to come back and earn a degree and on the other, you have a young man willing to put his ego aside in order to play behind the best running back in the country.
Both showed lots of leadership and in very different ways over the last two months. That type of leadership will serve not only these two players well into their future but the program as well. This type of leadership is why Clemson football has been so successful over the last five years without producing the same number elite NFL talent that schools like Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama, UGA and LSU have had during the same time frame.
While Lyn-J Dixon will never be mentioned among the all-time greats in Clemson football history, he serves his teammates and the Clemson community in a way that should never be forgotten.