Td Comments On Cowboys' 6th Round Pick

[SUMG]

(Posted in DMNews blog by the great Tim McMahon. Reading what Walden did to us in the MTSU game last year, reminded me of who this guy is:

Wade Phillips said you couldn't help but be impressed with sixth-round pick Erik Walden's toughness when you watched him play with turf toe last season. The Cowboys also liked the way Walden ran and hit.

They won't get any arguments from North Texas coach Todd Dodge, who recalls the Mean Green's meeting with Walden all too well. Walden, a DE who will convert to OLB, was a dominant force in Middle Tennessee's 38-28 win over my alma mater last season.

Walden had three tackles for loss, a sack, a safety and an interception in the game. The pick was an eye-popping display of athleticism, with Walden skying to deflect a screen pass to himself to halt a drive that would have given the Mean Green the lead. Walden returned it to the 3-yard line.

"I'm curious what his vertical is," Dodge said, "because it sure was high on that play."

Dodge described Walden (6-2, 237) as the prototype Sun Belt defensive end -- a little undersized but with excellent burst. Walden played on the weak side in college, and Dodge didn't think the move to OLB in a 3-4 scheme would be difficult for him.

"He can flat-out run," Dodge said. "He was a handful."

Edited April 28, 2008 by SUMG

[SUMG]

Interesting undrafted FA pickup by the Cowboys. If you've never heard of this kid...many people felt like he was unfairly treated, and should have never gone to prison. The overwhelming evidence was that the sex was consensual (between him and the 15 year old classmate). Anyway, he was an unbelievable talent, and now has resurrected his career, after a prison stay:

The Cowboys signed Hampton defensive end Marcus Dixon to a three-year deal as an undrafted free agent. Dixon spent 15 months in prison for aggravated child molestation and statutory rape before the Georgia Supreme Court ordered his immediate release in 2004.

Dixon, 6-4, 295, was a three-year captain at Hampton and was on the Dean's list. He finished his senior year with six sacks.

The Cowboys, "were the most aggressive during the day," Dixon's agent Joe Linta said. "They didn't have a seventh round pick, but they convinced me that they would've taken him had they had one. Tim Ciskowki's word to me is gold."

Linta said no team expressed any concern over Dixon's past leading to him not being drafted.

[FirefightnRick]

Interesting undrafted FA pickup by the Cowboys. If you've never heard of this kid...many people felt like he was unfairly treated, and should have never gone to prison. The overwhelming evidence was that the sex was consensual (between him and the 15 year old classmate). Anyway, he was an unbelievable talent, and now has resurrected his career, after a prison stay:

The Cowboys signed Hampton defensive end Marcus Dixon to a three-year deal as an undrafted free agent. Dixon spent 15 months in prison for aggravated child molestation and statutory rape before the Georgia Supreme Court ordered his immediate release in 2004.

Dixon, 6-4, 295, was a three-year captain at Hampton and was on the Dean's list. He finished his senior year with six sacks.

The Cowboys, "were the most aggressive during the day," Dixon's agent Joe Linta said. "They didn't have a seventh round pick, but they convinced me that they would've taken him had they had one. Tim Ciskowki's word to me is gold."

Linta said no team expressed any concern over Dixon's past leading to him not being drafted.

If this was the same kid whose story ran on 20/20, or Nightline???? maybe, or some other news show that I had seen then his prison sentence was a crock and the judge set out to make an example out of him. He had been a perfect student, never in any trouble. He had just turned 18 at an after HS party and hooked up with this girl. Her parents found out and filed the charges against him and the judge did the rest. I had wondered where he ended up. Great find SUMG.

Rick

[Got5onIt]

If this was the same kid whose story ran on 20/20, or Nightline???? maybe, or some other news show that I had seen then his prison sentence was a crock and the judge set out to make an example out of him. He had been a perfect student, never in any trouble. He had just turned 18 at an after HS party and hooked up with this girl. Her parents found out and filed the charges against him and the judge did the rest. I had wondered where he ended up. Great find SUMG.

Rick

Was this the kid that originally committed to Vanderbilt before the whole statutory rape incident went down? Because if it is, Race had a LOT to do with this case.

Oh yeah, SUMG, Jesus Christ, your avatar is smokin'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who the hell is that??? If it's your wife, my apologies for drooling over her!

Edited April 28, 2008 by Got5onIt

[SilverEagle]

If this was the same kid whose story ran on 20/20, or Nightline???? maybe, or some other news show that I had seen then his prison sentence was a crock and the judge set out to make an example out of him. He had been a perfect student, never in any trouble. He had just turned 18 at an after HS party and hooked up with this girl. Her parents found out and filed the charges against him and the judge did the rest. I had wondered where he ended up. Great find SUMG.

Rick

For everyone with pre-teen daughters. Let's see if everyone feels the same when your daughters are 15, and they go to parties where the school star athlete(s) are in attendance. Not exactly an ideal "make-a-good-decision" time for a 15 year old girl.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

For everyone with pre-teen daughters. Let's see if everyone feels the same when your daughters are 15, and they go to parties where the school star athlete(s) are in attendance. Not exactly an ideal "make-a-good-decision" time for a 15 year old girl.

---Don't know about this one but too many parents lack the courage to say "NO" when dealing with their kids. Unless this was extremely well supervised (doesn't appear to have been) they should have said no. [raised three kids, taught in secondary public school] Most of the kids I have seen get in trouble fall into one of two groups... homes with no supervision...or.... homes with way too much parental control and the kid never learned to make good decisions on their own and go nuts when given a little freedom. It also explains why so many flunk out of college early, they don't have the maturity and self-discipline to handle everything now that Mom and Dad aren't there.

---15 year olds may look rather mature but when you consider what they were like two years earlier, you realize it is unlikely that many are mature enough to handle many questionable or difficult situations, especially when dealing with someone a few years older.

Edited April 28, 2008 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Green Crazy]

Was this the kid that originally committed to Vanderbilt before the whole statutory rape incident went down? Because if it is, Race had a LOT to do with this case.

Oh yeah, SUMG, Jesus Christ, your avatar is smokin'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who the hell is that??? If it's your wife, my apologies for drooling over her!

I beleive that's the greatness of Denise Milani (sp?).

[greenminer]

I beleive that's the greatness of Denise Milani (sp?).

Don't know her name, but I can tell he pulled that straight off the SbB girls site.

[Charlie NT 73]

What is the "SbB" site address. I would like to check this out.

[Spaceraider]

What is the "SbB" site address. I would like to check this out.

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/g/

[green_goblin]

---Don't know about this one but too many parents lack the courage to say "NO" when dealing with their kids. Unless this was extremely well supervised (doesn't appear to have been) they should have said no. [raised three kids, taught in secondary public school] Most of the kids I have seen get in trouble fall into one of two groups... homes with no supervision...or.... homes with way too much parental control and the kid never learned to make good decisions on their own and go nuts when given a little freedom. It also explains why so many flunk out of college early, they don't have the maturity and self-discipline to handle everything now that Mom and Dad aren't there.

---15 year olds may look rather mature but when you consider what they were like two years earlier, you realize it is unlikely that many are mature enough to handle many questionable or difficult situations, especially when dealing with someone a few years older.

There was an article on ESPN that talked about the incident. From what I remember reading, the 15 year old girl was performing oral sex on him and since he was 18 years of age, well it was considered as statutory rape. Don't get me wrong, the law is the law even though he was punished to the extreme.