Mike Nixon Class: Senior Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz. High School: Sunnyslope Height / Weight: 6-3 / 224 Position: Linebacker Experience: 3V

Nixon Has Taken Long Road To Success- East Valley Tribune

ASU: Mature, 25-year-old senior who began his ASU career in 2006 after playing minor league baseball...became one of the Pac-10's top defensive players in 2008, tying for the conference lead in interceptions and finishing sixth in tackles...appeared in all 38 games of his ASU career, making 19 starts...has the ability to play all three linebacker positions, and has starting experience at all three...totaled 180 tackles (117 solo), 19.0 tackles for loss (minus 72 yards) and five sacks (minus 27 yards) in his three seasons at ASU...also has 12 pass break-ups, five interceptions (all in 2008), three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his career.

2008: Played in all 12 games, making 11 starts (10 at weak side linebacker and one at middle linebacker)...led the team and tied for the Pac-10 lead with five interceptions, returning one for a touchdown...also led the Sun Devils with 90 tackles (60 solo), which ranked sixth in the Pac-10...had 8.0 tackles for loss (minus 36 yards), one sack, five pass break-ups and one forced fumble on the season...was an Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 selection, and earned First-Team all-conference honors from PhilSteele.com...also accomplished in the classroom, as he was a Pac-10 All-Academic First-Team selection and an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII honoree...finished with seven or more tackles in eight of the team's 12 games on the season...had a team-high eight tackles (four solo) and two pass break-ups in season-opening win over Northern Arizona on Aug. 30...collected seven tackles (five solo) in victory over Stanford on Sept. 6...recorded a season-high 13 tackles (eight solo) and a pass break-up while making his only start at middle linebacker against UNLV on Sept. 13...totaled seven tackles (five solo) against No. 3 Georgia on Sept. 20...had his first career interception, in addition to five tackles (two solo), at California on Oct. 4...collected eight tackles (six solo), one sack and an interception in the third quarter at No. 8 USC on Oct. 11...had five tackles (four solo) against Oregon on Oct. 25...led the team with 12 tackles (eight solo) at Oregon State on Nov. 1...finished with three tackles and a fourth-quarter interception in victory at Washington on Nov. 8...helped ASU get its first shutout since 1996 with six tackles (five solo) and an interception in win over Washington State on Nov. 15...had seven tackles (four solo) and a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of victory over UCLA on Nov. 28...his was one of an NCAA record-tying four defensive touchdowns the Sun Devils scored in that game...posted a team-high eight tackles (seven solo) and a pass break-up at Arizona on Dec. 6...shared the team's Most Valuable Defensive Player of the Year award with senior safety Troy Nolan...also a co-winner of the Clyde B. Smith Award for academic achievement, along with senior linebacker Anthony Reyes, at team's year-end banquet.

2007: Played in all 13 games, making four starts at middle linebacker...finished fourth on the team with 58 tackles (37 solo)...totaled three tackles for loss (minus 12 yards), including one sack (minus nine yards), and four pass break-ups on the season...also had two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble...had two tackles against San Jose State on Sept. 1 and three tackles against Colorado on Sept. 8...recorded four tackles each in wins over San Diego State on Sept. 15 and Oregon State on Sept. 22...had a fumble recovery in the second quarter of ASU's win at Stanford on Sept. 29...posted four tackles (two solo) at Washington State on Oct. 6...filled up the stat sheet against Washington on Oct. 13, with five tackles (three solo), a tackle for loss, a third-quarter fumble recovery and a pass break-up...collected six tackles (three solo) in his first start of the season against California on Oct. 27...led the team with his season-best 12 tackles (five solo) at Oregon on Nov. 3...had three tackles and a pass break-up at UCLA on Nov. 10 and against USC on Nov. 22...recorded seven tackles (four solo) and a pass break-up in win over Arizona on Dec. 1...finished the season by making five tackles (all solo), forcing a fumble and recording his only sack of the season in Pacific Life Holiday Bowl against Texas on Dec. 27.

2006: Played in all 13 games, starting four at strong side linebacker...totaled 32 tackles (20 solo), 8.0 tackles-for-loss (-24 yards), 3.0 sacks (-10 yards), three pass deflections and one forced fumble...totaled three solo stops and a five-yard tackle-for-loss in his Sun Devil debut against Northern Arizona on Aug. 31...recorded a pair of solo tackles and a one-yard tackle-for-loss against Nevada on Sept. 9...posted three total tackles (one solo), a one-yard tackle-for-loss and a pass deflection at Colorado on Sept. 16...tallied a pair of solo tackles and a two-yard tackle-for-loss at No. 21 California on Sept. 23...in his first career start, he totaled two solo tackles-for-loss, a seven-yard sack and a forced fumble against Stanford on Oct. 21...tallied three assisted tackles as a starter at Washington on Oct. 28...chipped in a pair of solo tackles and a pass deflection at Oregon State on Nov. 4...recorded a season-high seven tackles (five solo), assisting on a four-yard tackle-for-loss in a starting effort against UCLA on Nov. 18...as a starter, totaled two tackles (one solo), assisting on a one-yard tackle-for loss and added a pass breakup at Arizona on Nov. 25...made two solo tackles, including a two-yard sack of Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan in the Shearaton Hawai'i Bowl against Hawai'i on Dec. 24...joined the team for spring drills...ranked as the 38th-best inside linebacker in the nation for 2006 by Phil Steele...also earned preseason third-team All-Pac-10 honors by that same publication.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2002 graduate of Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix...SuperPrep Elite 50 (No. 7)...SuperPrep All-American (No. 2 skill athlete)...ranked No. 1 player in Arizona by SuperPrep...ranked No. 93 nationally in The Insiders Top 101...member of Student Sports Hot 100...rated No. 11 safety in the nation...rated No. 3 safety in the West by PacWestFootball.com...PrepStar Dream Team and No. 4 'athlete' in the nation (No. 1 'athlete' in the West)...Tom Lemming All-American and the No. 20 player in the West...Arizona state career passing leader (8,091 yards)...Max Emfinger All-American...memeber of The Tacoma News Tribune's Western 100...went 37-11 as a starting quarterback...twice selected first-team All-State as a safety...made 109 tackles (35 solo) and eight interceptions as a senior...completed 153-of-261 passes for 2,636 yards and 34 touchdowns...he also rushed for 309 yards, kicked six field goals and averaged 44.4 yards as a punter in 2001...named to The Orange County Register's Fab 15 second-team...Phoenix 'Big School' Player of the Year...preseason SuperPrep All-American (No. 28 'skill athlete')...as a junior, he passed for 2,266 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 795 yards and seven scores...defensively, he made 146 tackles and eight interceptions...also an outstanding baseball player (catcher) who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers out of high school and played in their farm system until the end of 2005...signed a national letter of intent with UCLA out of high school, but never enrolled.

PERSONAL: Undecided on his major, but considers pursuring a career in radio broadcasting...parents are Jim (CFO of Marco Crane) and Debbie (health care consultant) Nixon of Phoenix, Ariz....has an older brother, Matt, who played football at California (1998-2002)...graduated sixth in his class at Sunnyslope High...decided to attend ASU because he has been a lifelong Sun Devils fan and because his family can easily attend ASU's games...favorite professional athlete is Boris Diaw...born August 17, 1983...full name is Michael George Nixon.

Nixon's Career Statistics