At this point one year ago, if I asked you who Domenik Hixon was, you would probably have the following response:
“Who is Domenik Hixon?”
That answer would have been fair. Only the most crazed Giants fan would have known the answer (except for me, because even I did not know who he was) to a question that would seem custom made for bar trivia.
Let’s just say that one year later, taking a theme from the old television show “Cheers”, everyone knows his name.
Hixon was on an NFL roster last season before he came to the Giants. On Opening Day last year at Ralph Wilson Stadium, he was a member of the Denver Broncos and was involved in a serious collision on a kickoff with Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett. Everett was motionless on the turf as he suffered life-threatening neck and spinal injuries.
The Broncos would go on to cut Hixon several weeks later and on October 3, he was picked up the Giants. He finally introduced himself to the world in the final regular season game against the previously undefeated New England Patriots when he returned a kickoff 74 yards for a touchdown.
During training camp, as Plaxico Burress sat out with a contract dispute disguised as a leg injury, Hixon took all of the reps in training camp in Burress’ place, running all of the routes that would normally be run by the Giants big play receiver. As it turned out, he shined. In a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, he broke out with two touchdowns and several other big plays against their starting defense.
The problem became how they could get this newly found talent on the field. Burress, Amani Toomer and Steve Smith already locked up the first three receiver spots. Sinorice Moss was still on the roster despite resembling a ghost. And they had already drafted Michigan standout Mario Manningham back in April.
For the time being, he was relegated mostly to punt returning. But against the Rams in St. Louis, his talent was utilized. He caught three passes for 60 yards in a 41-13 Giants blowout.
Burress was suspended two weeks later for the Giants game against Seattle and Hixon would get his first NFL start in his place. With him in the lineup, the team did not miss a beat. He caught four passes for 102 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 15 yard run on a reverse in 44-6 beat down of the Seahawks.
In many ways, he became the team’s secret weapon.
Several of his punt returns would put the Giants in good field position throughout the team’s great season and he has nearly broken a few for big gains only to be called back due to penalties.
On Sunday in Arizona against the Cardinals, with Burress having to depart after the first series of the game with a week long lingering hamstring injury, it was Hixon who was called upon to step up and take his spot.
Again, this train of a team did not stop.
He was used on a reverse that gained 17 yards. As a receiver, he led the team in receptions (6) and yards (57). Yet, his biggest contribution came on special teams, the spot where he made his first impact with the Giants almost 12 months ago.
In the second quarter, the Cardinals were ruled offsides on a kickoff that normal return man Ahmad Bradshaw brought out to the 25-yard line. Seeing this, Coach Tom Coughlin made a switch and substituted him for the speedier Hixon. It was a stroke of genius because on the second kick, he ran it back 83 yards down to the 17-yard line.
Later in the quarter after another Cardinals field goal, Hixon nearly broke another return, tripped up again after a return of 68 yards.
The two long returns created 10 points for the Giants and paved the way to a 37-28 victory In the desert. Hixon also added two tackles on special teams. On the day, he recorded 269 all-purpose yards, the most in the history of the franchise.
On the consummate team, he has been among the ultimate team players. His versatility allows him to be used in a multitude of ways and its now up the offensive masterminds of this well-oiled machine to find situations to get him the ball.
With the double teams that follow Burress on each play and the respect teams have given to the Giants running game, as the final games of this regular season wind down, there appears to the opportunities for Eli Manning to use Hixon’s speed on deep balls to beat third cornerbacks and slower safeties.
There is no doubt he should be the teams kickoff return man from this day forward. Nothing against Bradshaw, but he does not provide the same burst and homerun hitting ability that Hixon does. He finds creases to the outside better and because of his shiftiness due to having quick feet, he is able to take lesser blocking and make a big play out of it compared to anyone else on the team.
In a year where different players have stepped up and provided contributions on a team seeking back-to-back Super Bowl victories, Hixon has been the biggest surprise of all.
Sometimes, it just happens that way.
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