Temple University Athletics
2008 Football Roster
Roster
Nixon, James

Jersey Number 23
James Nixon
- Position:
- WR
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 190
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- New Haven, Conn.
- High School:
- Hyde Leadership School
Bio
Moved to cornerback during spring 2010 after playing wide receiver for two seasons … mid-year student that enrolled at Temple in January 2008 ... originally signed a National Letter of Intent with Connecticut in February 2006.
Honors: 2010 third-team All-MAC at kickoff returner by Phil Steele … named to the 2010 inaugural Paul Hornung Award Watch List … 2010 preseason first-team All-MAC selection by Phil Steele’s College Football … 2010 preseason All-MAC honoree at kickoff returner by Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook … 2009 second-team All-MAC honoree … named second-team All-MAC by Phil Steele … 2009 ECAC All-Star … team’s 2009 Special Teams MVP … earned National Honorable Mention Kick Returner of the Week accolades from the College Football Performance Award (Sept. 28, 2009; Nov. 1, 2009) … named the coaches’ special teams player of the week twice (Sept. 27, 2009; Nov. 1, 2009).
2010: Played in all 12 games … also played on the kickoff and kickoff return units … played on offense, defense, and special teams … for the season, finished third in rushing with 107 yards on nine carries … also had 12 tackles … had two tackles at Miami … had three kickoff returns for 92 yards and a solo tackle against Ohio … returned two kicks for 30 yards in the win at Kent State … had a solo tackle in the shutout of Akron … rushed for 12 yards and had a nine-yard kickoff return in the win at Buffalo … returned two kickoffs for 52 yards in the win over Bowling Green … had a 12-yard run, and 18-yard kickoff return, and four tackles at Northern Illinois … returned five kickoffs for 132 yards and rushed twice for 10 yards in the win at Army … led all rushers with 64 yards on two carries at No. 23/20 Penn State … also had three kickoff returns for 67 yards against the Nittany Lions … returned three kickoffs for 66 yards in the win over Connecticut … had a tackle-for-loss, an 11-yard run, and a 27-yard kickoff return in the win over Central Michigan … had three kickoff returns for 68 yards in the win over Villanova in the season opener … lettered.
2009: Played in all 13 games with nine starts … received the starting nod at No. 5 Penn State and continued in that role for nine games … also played on the kickoff, kickoff return, punt, and punt return units … finished the season as the team’s kickoff return leader with 17 returns for 497 yards (29.2 average) and a school record two touchdowns … rushed twice and had a 43-yard reception against UCLA in the EagleBank Bowl … had a nine-yard rush at Ohio … rushed three times for 40 yards in the win over Kent State … rushed for 33 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown, in the win at Akron … had a 45-yard reception and three rushes for 40 yards in the win over Miami … set the school record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the win at Navy … the TD return also tied the NCAA record and set the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium record for longest return en route to the coaches’ special teams player of the game honors … made two receptions for 20 yards in the win at Toledo … rushed for two yards in the win over Army … had two receptions for 37 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown, in the win over Ball State … also returned two kickoffs for 26 yards against the Cardinals … made a 10-yard catch and a 20-yard kickoff return in the win at Eastern Michigan … had a 48-yard reception and a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the win over Buffalo en route to national honors … had a 29-yard reception and two kickoff returns for 26 yards … named the coaches’ special teams player of the game … returned a career-long 31-yard kickoff against the Nittany Lions … had a huge reception, 75 yards, for his first collegiate touchdown against Villanova ... lettered.
2008: Played in all 12 games with one start ... one of just six freshmen to play in every game ...finished the season fourth in rushing with 19 carries for 110 yards ... in collegiate debut, his first touch of the ball resulted in a nine-yard run for a first down at Army ...his first reception was a 46-yarder against Connecticut ... led TU[apos]s rushing efforts with 53 yards on three carries, including a 43-yard run against Western Michigan ... named the coaches[apos] offensive player of the game ... ran the ball three times for 16 yards in the win at Miami in his first collegiate start ... in the win over Ohio, rushed three times for 12 yards ... had four carries in the win over Eastern Michigan ... lettered.
Postgraduate: Attended Bridgton Academy (Maine) where he played for coach Rick Marcella.
High School: Led the Hyde Leadership School to two undefeated seasons under coach John Acquavita ... played running back, defensive back, and kick returner ... 2006 preseason All-American ... earned All-State honors ... as a senior, carried the ball 160 times for 1,532 yards and 19 touchdowns ... averaged 9.6 yards per carry ... along with Temple junior Dy[apos]Onne Crudup at quarterback, Hyde won two consecutive state championships his junior and senior seasons ... team went a perfect 12-0 in 2005 and 2006 ... also ran track ... won the New England championship in the 100 meters two years in a row ... won five state titles in track.
Personal: James A. Nixon ... born Feb. 2, 1988, in New Haven, Conn. ... parents are Erika and Lionel Nixon, Sr. ... has five brothers--Jon, Brandon, Lionel, Jr., Ezekial, and Elijah ... Brandon played at Connecticut for three seasons before enrolling at Southern Connecticut State ... Lionel, Jr., is a senior at Maine where he plays defensive back ... volunteered with the New Haven Parks and Recreation Department ... ran the Dwight Elementary gym program for children ... journalism major.
Honors: 2010 third-team All-MAC at kickoff returner by Phil Steele … named to the 2010 inaugural Paul Hornung Award Watch List … 2010 preseason first-team All-MAC selection by Phil Steele’s College Football … 2010 preseason All-MAC honoree at kickoff returner by Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook … 2009 second-team All-MAC honoree … named second-team All-MAC by Phil Steele … 2009 ECAC All-Star … team’s 2009 Special Teams MVP … earned National Honorable Mention Kick Returner of the Week accolades from the College Football Performance Award (Sept. 28, 2009; Nov. 1, 2009) … named the coaches’ special teams player of the week twice (Sept. 27, 2009; Nov. 1, 2009).
2010: Played in all 12 games … also played on the kickoff and kickoff return units … played on offense, defense, and special teams … for the season, finished third in rushing with 107 yards on nine carries … also had 12 tackles … had two tackles at Miami … had three kickoff returns for 92 yards and a solo tackle against Ohio … returned two kicks for 30 yards in the win at Kent State … had a solo tackle in the shutout of Akron … rushed for 12 yards and had a nine-yard kickoff return in the win at Buffalo … returned two kickoffs for 52 yards in the win over Bowling Green … had a 12-yard run, and 18-yard kickoff return, and four tackles at Northern Illinois … returned five kickoffs for 132 yards and rushed twice for 10 yards in the win at Army … led all rushers with 64 yards on two carries at No. 23/20 Penn State … also had three kickoff returns for 67 yards against the Nittany Lions … returned three kickoffs for 66 yards in the win over Connecticut … had a tackle-for-loss, an 11-yard run, and a 27-yard kickoff return in the win over Central Michigan … had three kickoff returns for 68 yards in the win over Villanova in the season opener … lettered.
2009: Played in all 13 games with nine starts … received the starting nod at No. 5 Penn State and continued in that role for nine games … also played on the kickoff, kickoff return, punt, and punt return units … finished the season as the team’s kickoff return leader with 17 returns for 497 yards (29.2 average) and a school record two touchdowns … rushed twice and had a 43-yard reception against UCLA in the EagleBank Bowl … had a nine-yard rush at Ohio … rushed three times for 40 yards in the win over Kent State … rushed for 33 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown, in the win at Akron … had a 45-yard reception and three rushes for 40 yards in the win over Miami … set the school record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the win at Navy … the TD return also tied the NCAA record and set the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium record for longest return en route to the coaches’ special teams player of the game honors … made two receptions for 20 yards in the win at Toledo … rushed for two yards in the win over Army … had two receptions for 37 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown, in the win over Ball State … also returned two kickoffs for 26 yards against the Cardinals … made a 10-yard catch and a 20-yard kickoff return in the win at Eastern Michigan … had a 48-yard reception and a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the win over Buffalo en route to national honors … had a 29-yard reception and two kickoff returns for 26 yards … named the coaches’ special teams player of the game … returned a career-long 31-yard kickoff against the Nittany Lions … had a huge reception, 75 yards, for his first collegiate touchdown against Villanova ... lettered.
2008: Played in all 12 games with one start ... one of just six freshmen to play in every game ...finished the season fourth in rushing with 19 carries for 110 yards ... in collegiate debut, his first touch of the ball resulted in a nine-yard run for a first down at Army ...his first reception was a 46-yarder against Connecticut ... led TU[apos]s rushing efforts with 53 yards on three carries, including a 43-yard run against Western Michigan ... named the coaches[apos] offensive player of the game ... ran the ball three times for 16 yards in the win at Miami in his first collegiate start ... in the win over Ohio, rushed three times for 12 yards ... had four carries in the win over Eastern Michigan ... lettered.
Postgraduate: Attended Bridgton Academy (Maine) where he played for coach Rick Marcella.
High School: Led the Hyde Leadership School to two undefeated seasons under coach John Acquavita ... played running back, defensive back, and kick returner ... 2006 preseason All-American ... earned All-State honors ... as a senior, carried the ball 160 times for 1,532 yards and 19 touchdowns ... averaged 9.6 yards per carry ... along with Temple junior Dy[apos]Onne Crudup at quarterback, Hyde won two consecutive state championships his junior and senior seasons ... team went a perfect 12-0 in 2005 and 2006 ... also ran track ... won the New England championship in the 100 meters two years in a row ... won five state titles in track.
Personal: James A. Nixon ... born Feb. 2, 1988, in New Haven, Conn. ... parents are Erika and Lionel Nixon, Sr. ... has five brothers--Jon, Brandon, Lionel, Jr., Ezekial, and Elijah ... Brandon played at Connecticut for three seasons before enrolling at Southern Connecticut State ... Lionel, Jr., is a senior at Maine where he plays defensive back ... volunteered with the New Haven Parks and Recreation Department ... ran the Dwight Elementary gym program for children ... journalism major.
Ep. 2: Temple Football Alum Tyler Matakevich || Gymnastics Junior Amelia Budd
Friday, September 05
Elevate the Owls: Temple Athletics' Competitive Excellence Fund
Tuesday, September 02
Ep. 1: Head Football Coach K.C. Keeler || XC's David Litvin & WLAX's Amelia Wright
Friday, August 29
Introducing The Owl Pod: The Official Podcast of Temple Athletics!
Friday, August 22