First it was wide receiver Edward Britton who felt the wrath of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. Now defensive end McKinner Dixon is in Leach's doghouse and may have played his last game for the Red Raiders.
Leach has suspended Dixon indefnitely for violating team rules, a.k.a. not taking of his school responsibilities.
"There's really not much to say, because I haven seen him,'' Leach said Tuesday. "We've spent a ton of our time messing around with a handful of players and at some point the madness has to stop.''
A 6-3, 250-pound senior-to-be, Dixon had nine sacks for the Red Raiders last year. But Leach said he is sacking the Lufkin native for now because he steadfastly refuses to abide by team rules.
"He's one of those guys who we jump-start him and it lasts a week, and it's all the same excuses,'' Leach said. "The broken car is his favorite one.
"He's always able to get to Lufkin, but then his car somehow magically always breaks once he's in Lufkin.''
Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said Dixon is not a bad kid. He just needs to grow up, go to class and handle his responsibilities.
"We've got one of the top graduation rates in the country,'' McNeill said. "We love you being a great player, but you've got to go to class. That's important.
"He's got to learn the hard way. If he does what we tell him to do he can be on the team. He's got to do what we ask him to do.''
Shortly after spring practice started last month, Leach had Britton sit in a chair at midfield and do his homework because the wide receiver had fell behind in his homework activities. Britton is now back in Leach's good graces.
Dixon, however, is not taking care of his school responsibilities and Leach is fed up with it and he's not taking it any more
"I think he plays a dumb card and I think people buy into it to a point,'' Leach said. "People fall for it, and then he does that every place.''
Leach said if his other players can follow the rules, then so can Dixon.
"He's a good kid, but at the same time when you're going to make rules you need to make rules and stand by them,'' McNeill said. "I'd love to have him back, but hopefully he'll learn.
"How much is enough? The team is bigger than an individual.''
McNeill said he held Dixon out of several practices last week so he could catch up on his classroom work. Apparently it hasn't worked.
"Mike has to make sure the tail isn't wagging the dog,'' McNeill said. "Mike believes in academics and so do I.''
_ Dwain Price
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