Alvin Kent Nix (born March 12, 1944) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
player who played professionally as a
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples ...
(TCU). Nix is the son of
Emery Nix
Kenneth Emery Nix (December 1, 1919 – December 6, 2005) was an American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played for the New York Giants. He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs
The TCU Horned Frogs are ...
, who played for the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in 1943 and 1946.
[
]
College career
Nix helped TCU to an upset of Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...
in October 1964. He passed 4 yards to Joe Ball for the first score in a 17–14 win at Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
. He led the Horned Frogs on four long scoring drives as a senior quarterback to defeat Baylor in Waco, Texas
Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the ...
, the following October. Nix hit on five consecutive passes during a 79-yard drive for a touchdown, in the second quarter. TCU won on a field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
by Bruce Alford in the third period. Nix tied a Southwest Conference
The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference included schools from Oklahoma an ...
record with 4 touchdown passes of 31, 24, 12, and 15 yards, versus Rice University
William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...
, in November 1965. He also scored on a one-yard plunge to give Texas Christian a 42-14 halftime lead. His first two touchdown passes came in the first ninety-three seconds following Rice fumble
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...
s. Nix was bothered for much of his collegiate career by a knee injury. While at TCU, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta () is a United States-based international Greek letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, (now West Virginia) in 1858. The fraternity currently has around 130 collegiate chapters ...
fraternity.
Professional career
Green Bay Packers
Nix was cut by the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
on August 2, 1966. He passed through waivers but was retained on the Packers' taxi squad
In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...
[ for the remainder of the 1966 season. After clearing waivers Nix became a ]free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
.[''Giants Dire Need: A Back-Up Passer Who Knows Score'', ''The New York Times'', November 7, 1966, Page 67.]
Nix was back in the Packers' training camp in 1967, but trailed three other quarterbacks on the depth chart: Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett Starr (January 9, 1934 – May 26, 2019) was an American professional football quarterback and head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Alab ...
, Zeke Bratkowski
Edmund Raymond "Zeke" Bratkowski (October 20, 1931 − November 11, 2019) was an American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, and Green Bay Packer ...
and Don Horn
Donald Glenn Horn (born March 9, 1945) is a former American football player, a quarterback in the National Football League for eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, and San Diego Chargers.
Early years
Born i ...
. On July 30, 1967, the Packers traded Nix to the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, in exchange for the Steelers' fifth round draft pick in 1968. This wound up being the 9th pick in the 5th round, and the Packers used it in the 1968 draft to select offensive lineman Steve Duich.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Nix got his first chance to play in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in September 1967. The Steelers' regular quarterback, Bill Nelsen
William Keith Nelsen (January 29, 1941 – April 11, 2019) was a football player who played quarterback collegiately for the University of Southern California and professionally for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He was known ...
, had an injury to his right knee. Nix was the only other quarterback on the roster. He made his debut against the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. Nix connected on an 18-yard pass to J.R. Wilburn
Johnnie Richard Wilburn Jr. (born April 27, 1943) is a former professional American football player. He played professionally as a wide receiver for five seasons in the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a p ...
to tie the score, 24–24, midway through the fourth quarter. The Steelers lost in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, 34–24. Nix completed 23 of 34 passes against the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
for 218 yards and one touchdown, in October 1967. Split end Dick Compton caught ten of his passes. Nix hit rookie Steelers' running back, Don Shy
Donald Frederic Shy (born November 15, 1945) is a former professional American football player who played running back for seven seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New Orleans Saints, the Chicago Bears, and the St. Louis Cardinals of the Nat ...
, for a 27-yard touchdown in a loss to the Giants at Pittsburgh, on October 15.
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade Landry (September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was an American professional football player and coach. He was the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL), a position he held for 29 seasons. Dur ...
called Nix the best rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
quarterback he had seen in
ten years. Nix guided the Steelers to a 24–14 triumph against the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
on December 3. He handed off to Shy for two one-yard touchdowns to cap drives of 80 and 64 yards in the first and second quarters. He fooled the Lions' defense by passing often on first and second down. Most significantly Nix found swift J.R. Wilburn for a 67-yard touchdown with 1:49 remaining in the second quarter. He
led the Steelers on a 78-yard drive, completed by a Nix to John Hilton 3-yard touchdown pass, which gave Pittsburgh a temporary 10–9 lead against the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. During the drive at Pittsburgh on December 10, Wilburn caught four passes for fifty-five yards.
The Steelers traded Nix during the 1970 preseason to the Minnesota Vikings, but he failed to make their roster and signed with the Bears
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the North ...
before the season started.[''Steelers Trade Nix To Vikings'', '']The Pittsburgh Press
''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...
'', September 3, 1970, Page 40, column 2.
Chicago Bears
Nix signed with the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
and spent the 1970 season on the taxi squad.[ He rallied the Bears in the fourth quarter for a second straight week, coming from behind to upset the Vikings, 20–17, in September 1971. He threw touchdown passes of 36 and 26 yards to Dick Gordon in ]Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. The latter pass found Gordon in the end zone
The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field. ...
with 1:42 remaining in the game. Bears starting quarterback, Jack Concannon
John Joseph "Jack" Concannon Jr. (February 25, 1943 – November 28, 2005) was an American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lio ...
, was knocked out of the game on a hit by Carl Eller
Carl Eller (born January 25, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and played college football ...
.
Nix started his first game since 1968 in a 35–14 beating of the New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
at Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...
. He threw touchdown passes of 25 and 35 yards to Bob Wallace and Gordon. Overall, he completed 14 of 24 passes for 242 yards.
The Bears waived Nix on September 13, 1972. In March 1974 Nix filed suit against the Bears, charging they had misdiagnosed a November 1971 hand injury as a ''sprained wrist''. He asked for more than $10,000. Nix had continued playing following the preliminary diagnosis. In his lawsuit he claimed that the injury was aggravated. A later diagnosis stated that the injury was ''a rupture of both tendons of the index finger of the right hand.''
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 as ...
signed him to their taxi squad on September 21. Nix appeared in 12 games for the Oilers, two of them starts. Houston traded Nix along with Ron Billingsley
Ronald Smith Billingsley (April 6, 1945 – February 5, 2017) was an American football player, a defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL).
Early years
Born in Florence, Alabama, Billingsley was ...
to the New Orleans Saints for Dave Parks
David Wayne Parks (December 25, 1941 – August 8, 2019) was an American football wide receiver and tight end in the NFL. He was the first overall selection in the 1964 NFL Draft out of Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University). ...
, Tom Stincic
Thomas Dorn Stincic (born November 24, 1946) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He played college football, principally as a linebacker, at the University ...
, and Edd Hargett
Edward Eugene Hargett (born June 26, 1947) is a former American football quarterback for Texas A&M University who went on to play professionally for the National Football League (NFL)'s New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers. He later played for t ...
in March of 1973.
New Orleans Saints
Nix found himself in a four-way competition for three quarterback slots with the Saints, vying for a job with Archie Manning
Elisha Archibald Manning III (born May 19, 1949) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New Orleans Saints. He played for the Saints from 1971 to 1982 and al ...
, second year QB Bobby Scott, and former Jets and Oilers backup QB Bob Davis. The Saints' 1973 pre-season media guide listed Nix third on the quarterback depth chart, behind Manning and Scott but ahead of Davis. The other three quarterbacks all appeared for the Saints in the 1973 regular season, but Nix never did.
Personal life
Nix returned to TCU to finish his business degree, and went into business with his wife Susan, who also attended TCU. She was named "Miss TCU" during her senior year. They went on to own a dry cleaning business, which they later sold, and then went into the florist business. Now retired, he serves on the Colonial County Club Board of Directors, and continues to follow TCU football closely. Susan Nix died in November of 2020 from COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
related complications. [Luke Ranker, "Fort Worth’s Susan Nix, TCU and Colonial Country Club booster, dies after COVID battle", ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'', November 28, 2020. Available online: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/obituaries/article247464090.html . Retrieved March 20, 2021. ]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nix, Kent
1944 births
Living people
American football quarterbacks
Chicago Bears players
Houston Oilers players
TCU Horned Frogs football players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
People from Corpus Christi, Texas
Players of American football from Texas