By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
Football has always had a special place in Larry Dixon’s heart.
So too has Washington.
In the early 1950’s, Dixon began playing football at Washington High School under coach J.G. ‘Choppy’ Wagner. And thanks to Washington’s legendary coach, the game of football dominated Dixon’s life for more than 35 years.
On Friday night, Dixon’s life will come full circle as he is one of three former athletes — as well as the 1988 girls’ track team — being inducted into the Washington Walk of Fame at the stadium that’s named after his former coach.
Under Wagner, Dixon was a two-way starter, playing along both the offensive and defensive lines. He also served as the Pam Pack’s placekicker. A self-described “farm boy” Dixon was honored as an all-state lineman selection during his senior year.
After graduating, Dixon attended North Carolina State, where he played for three seasons on the Wolfpack’s varsity football squad.
When he got his shot at N.C. State, Dixon earned the starting job as the team’s kicker in his sophomore year. The following year, he started along both the offensive and defensive lines, before moving to a starting offensive tackle position full-time in his senior year.
Dixon started more than 20 games in his collegiate career before graduating and becoming a teacher in Roxboro.
The former Pam Pack star served as a physical education teacher and head football coach at Person High School (formerly known as Roxboro High School) for nearly 30 years, before retiring in the early 90s.