Marcus Dixon, a defensive end from Hampton University, is hoping to get selected in the 2008 NFL Draft on Saturday despite his troubled past.
While in high school, Dixon, then a student at Pepperell H.S. in Lindale, Georgia, had a controversial record of incidents.
Two alleged incidents got him suspended from school for a total of 10 days. In March of his sophomore year, Dixon exposed himself in a classroom, and a year later he allegedly touched a 14-year-old girl inappropriately after track practice. Neither situation was reported to the Floyd County police despite his suspension.
According to an ESPN report, the first incident was a "stupid prank", while the second incident was of Dixon and the girl "making out".
In Feb. 2003, Dixon committed to Vanderbilt to play college football, but four days later, he had sex with Kristie Brown, a white 15-year-old virgin, in a classroom trailer. Brown said that her father could not find out about the interaction, because her father "would kill both of them".
Kristie said she was raped, while Dixon maintained that the sex was consensual. Two days later, Dixon was arrested on rape charges.
The jury said they believed the sex was consensual and found Dixon guilty of statutory rape, a misdemeanor, and aggravated child molestation. After facing a minimum of 10 years in prison, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned his conviction after he served 15 months in prison.
Hampton University offered him an athletic scholarship soon after he was released.
The story made national news as Dixon was featured on the "Oprah Winfrey Show", "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" and several media outlets. Soon thereafter, another case made national news regarding a black teenage boy and sexual misconduct. Genarlow Wilson was just recently released under similar circumstances and, like Dixon, was given a scholarship to college.
Now Dixon is a viable NFL draft prospect, according to mock drafts. Standing 6-foot-4, 294 pounds, the defensive end is listed in the top 30 at his position.
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