Keisean Nixon

Keisean Nixon (born June 22, 1997) is an American football cornerback 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.

Keisean Nixon
refer to caption
Nixon in 2023
No. 25 – Green Bay Packers
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1997-06-22) June 22, 1997
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 7, 2023
Total tackles:84
Pass deflections:4
Interceptions:1
Forced fumbles:1
Return yards:1,536
Rushing yards:11
Total touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early life and high school

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
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
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench 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 s1.56 s2.60 s4.52 s7.28 s32.5 in
(0.83 m)		10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)		10 reps
All values from Pro Day[5]

Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders

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]

2022

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

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]

NFL career statistics
Legend
Led the league
Bold Career-high

Regular season
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Kick Returns Fumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckSftyPDIntYdsAvgLngTDRetYdsAvgLngTDFFFR
2019OAK 140121200010000036321.026000
2020LV 1511495000000003217.018000
2021LV 1111275000000000000000
2022GB 1742318500211110351,00928.8105T110
2023GB 22107300000000411027.530000
Career59871531800311110451,20326.7105T110
Source: pro-football-reference.com

Postseason
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GPGSCmbSoloAstSckPDIntYdsAvgLngTDsFFFR
2021LV 10202000000000
Career10202000000000
Source: pro-football-reference.com

Personal life

Throughout the first four years of Nixon's NFL career, rumors persisted that he was the nephew of rapper Snoop Dogg.[21][22][23] 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.[24]

References
  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. Martin, Kyle (August 25, 2019). "Undrafted rookie Keisean Nixon continues to flourish in preseason competition". Raiders.com. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  22. 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.
  23. "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.
  24. 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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