Overview

Popular and outspoken NFL cornerback Hanford Dixon offers an inside look at the turbulent, exciting, and frustrating Cleveland Browns seasons of the 1980s. A three-time Pro Bowler and co-inventor of the Dawg Pound, Dixon recalls both the roller-coaster on-field action and a culture of drug use that permeated the NFL and led to the tragic death of a teammate. He shares in detail what it was like to be a first-round NFL draft pick fighting for the starting job in training camp ... What it took, mentally and physically, to play the toughest game at the highest level for a storied franchise ... The adrenaline rush of whipping up a frenzied crowd of 80,000 rabid fans in Municipal Stadium ... The thrill of being one game away from the Super Bowl--three times! ... And the crushing disappointment of losing those big games. Dixon refers to himself as ""a top-notch, speedy, loud-mouth, cocky, shutdown cornerback."" That gives an idea of his outsized personality as well as his willingness to say exactly what he means. He's not shy about delivering praise or criticism where he thinks it's due--to teammates, coaches, officials ... or himself. This Dawg tells it the way it was.

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9781598510928

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Reviews

Do you long for yesteryear when the Dawg Pound at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium was rocking? . . . Credit Dixon for this effort. He doesn't hold back looking back at one of the most beloved eras of Browns football--good or bad. . . . The mid 1980s were successful for the Browns and Dixon basks in that glory. As successful as that time was for the Browns and its fans, the early and latter years of the decade, were not, and Dixon dives into those tough times in detail. . . . [It's] a fun ride down memory lane for any Browns fans over the age of 35. For those under that age it's a reminder (painful perhaps) of what you've been missing while watching the current state of the Browns.--Podowlski Mark ""The News Herald"" (11/21/2012 12:00:00 AM) Hanford Dixon, the Top Dawg, created the Browns as we know them--at least in the snarling junkyard persona he and loyal sidekick Frank Minnifield provided for the fans in the 1980s . . . Dixon takes us back to the thrilling days of the 1980s, when the Browns played for championships and not to go 9-7 and maybe sneak into the playoffs as the lowliest qualifier. . . . Once again, the dog bones are flying from the bleachers in old, rickety Municipal Stadium. Minnifield and Dixon are baying at the Bengals' fallen Cris Collinsworth . . . Players still known fondly by their first names of Bernie, Webster, Reggie, Ozzie and Clay are the darlings of a city whose fans gave their hearts to them, only to see them broken.--Bill Livingston ""The Plain Dealer"" (11/1/2012 12:00:00 AM) There might not be a phenomenon in all of pro sports that has the staying power of the Dawg Pound concept in Cleveland. Though its origin comes with some controversy and its legal ownership is questionable at best, one name that even some of the most casual Browns fans tie it to is Hanford Lee Dixon. . . . His book is more than just a log of tales from the football field, even though there is plenty of that. There's a definite human element to all of it, as he offers a detailed account of personal anguish that extends far beyond the boundaries of the football field.--Jeff Rich ""TheClevelandFan.com"" (11/18/2012 12:00:00 AM)

Do you long for yesteryear when the Dawg Pound at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium was rocking? . . . Credit Dixon for this effort. He doesn't hold back looking back at one of the most beloved eras of Browns football--good or bad. . . . The mid 1980s were successful for the Browns and Dixon basks in that glory. As successful as that time was for the Browns and its fans, the early and latter years of the decade, were not, and Dixon dives into those tough times in detail. . . . [It's] a fun ride down memory lane for any Browns fans over the age of 35. For those under that age it's a reminder (painful perhaps) of what you've been missing while watching the current state of the Browns.--Podowlski Mark The News Herald (11/21/2012 12:00:00 AM) Hanford Dixon, the Top Dawg, created the Browns as we know them--at least in the snarling junkyard persona he and loyal sidekick Frank Minnifield provided for the fans in the 1980s . . . Dixon takes us back to the thrilling days of the 1980s, when the Browns played for championships and not to go 9-7 and maybe sneak into the playoffs as the lowliest qualifier. . . . Once again, the dog bones are flying from the bleachers in old, rickety Municipal Stadium. Minnifield and Dixon are baying at the Bengals' fallen Cris Collinsworth . . . Players still known fondly by their first names of Bernie, Webster, Reggie, Ozzie and Clay are the darlings of a city whose fans gave their hearts to them, only to see them broken.--Bill Livingston The Plain Dealer (11/1/2012 12:00:00 AM) There might not be a phenomenon in all of pro sports that has the staying power of the Dawg Pound concept in Cleveland. Though its origin comes with some controversy and its legal ownership is questionable at best, one name that even some of the most casual Browns fans tie it to is Hanford Lee Dixon. . . . His book is more than just a log of tales from the football field, even though there is plenty of that. There's a definite human element to all of it, as he offers a detailed account of personal anguish that extends far beyond the boundaries of the football field.--Jeff Rich TheClevelandFan.com (11/18/2012 12:00:00 AM)

Hanford Dixon, the Top Dawg, created the Browns as we know them--at least in the snarling junkyard persona he and loyal sidekick Frank Minnifield provided for the fans in the 1980s . . . Dixon takes us back to the thrilling days of the 1980s, when the Browns played for championships and not to go 9-7 and maybe sneak into the playoffs as the lowliest qualifier. . . . Once again, the dog bones are flying from the bleachers in old, rickety Municipal Stadium. Minnifield and Dixon are baying at the Bengals' fallen Cris Collinsworth . . . Players still known fondly by their first names of Bernie, Webster, Reggie, Ozzie and Clay are the darlings of a city whose fans gave their hearts to them, only to see them broken.--Bill Livingston The Plain Dealer (11/01/2012)

Do you long for yesteryear when the Dawg Pound at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium was rocking? . . . Credit Dixon for this effort. He doesn't hold back looking back at one of the most beloved eras of Browns football--good or bad. . . . The mid 1980s were successful for the Browns and Dixon basks in that glory. As successful as that time was for the Browns and its fans, the early and latter years of the decade, were not, and Dixon dives into those tough times in detail. . . . [It's] a fun ride down memory lane for any Browns fans over the age of 35. For those under that age it's a reminder (painful perhaps) of what you've been missing while watching the current state of the Browns.-- (11/21/2012) Hanford Dixon, the Top Dawg, created the Browns as we know them--at least in the snarling junkyard persona he and loyal sidekick Frank Minnifield provided for the fans in the 1980s . . . Dixon takes us back to the thrilling days of the 1980s, when the Browns played for championships and not to go 9-7 and maybe sneak into the playoffs as the lowliest qualifier. . . . Once again, the dog bones are flying from the bleachers in old, rickety Municipal Stadium. Minnifield and Dixon are baying at the Bengals' fallen Cris Collinsworth . . . Players still known fondly by their first names of Bernie, Webster, Reggie, Ozzie and Clay are the darlings of a city whose fans gave their hearts to them, only to see them broken.-- (11/01/2012) There might not be a phenomenon in all of pro sports that has the staying power of the Dawg Pound concept in Cleveland. Though its origin comes with some controversy and its legal ownership is questionable at best, one name that even some of the most casual Browns fans tie it to is Hanford Lee Dixon. . . . His book is more than just a log of tales from the football field, even though there is plenty of that. There's a definite human element to all of it, as he offers a detailed account of personal anguish that extends far beyond the boundaries of the football field.-- (11/18/2012)

Author Information

Hanford Dixon played his entire NFL career (1981-1989) for the Cleveland Browns after being the 22nd pick in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He was selected for the Pro Bowl three times, in 1986, 1987 and 1988. His habit of barking at teammates, fans, and opponents inspired the Dawg Pound, the name still used for the vocal and excitable end-zone section of fans at Browns games. He was selected as a member of the Cleveland Browns Legends in 2003. He and teammate Frank Minnifield were selected as the No 2 Best Cornerback Tandem of All-Time by NFL.com. Dixon was born in Mobile, Alabama. He attended The University of Southern Mississippi, and was later named to the Southern Mississippi All-Century Team and inducted into the Golden Eagle Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. A regular commentator and analyst for Browns broadcasts on television and radio, he has also served as the head coach of the Lingerie Football League's Cleveland Crush. Randy Nyerges is a writer, a musician, and a certified tutor in the Cleveland Public Schools. He previously worked in media relations in Washington, D.C, and has held several staff appointments in the United States Senate. He graduated from Kent State University with a degree in journalism.

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