South Carolina Football: King Dixon passes away from pancreatic cancer

Former South Carolina football player and athletic director King Dixon passed away earlier this week after battling pancreatic cancer.

Former Gamecock running back King Dixon lost a bout with pancreatic cancer on Monday, passing away at the age of 83.  Dixon was a team captain on the 1958 South Carolina football team that finished 7-3 and ranked 15th in the country.

Over his three-year career with the Gamecocks between ’56-’58, Dixon racked up 1,250 rushing yards and scored 11 touchdowns.  He was an all-conference selection who twice finished among the ACC’s top five scorers (’57, ’58).

One of his greatest feats was returning kickoffs for touchdowns in back-to-back contests, which wasn’t accomplished by another Gamecock until Deebo Samuel matched the achievement in 2017.

Following his playing career, Dixon entered the US Armed Forces, beginning a 22-year stint with the Marine Corps.  Dixon saw military action in the Vietnam War, earning a Bronze Star.

He returned to South Carolina as an athletic director in ’88 amid a steroid scandal and attempted to change the perception of the department as a whole by implementing a strong drug testing policy for athletes on the Columbia campus.

Dixon was responsible for hires in both basketball (Steve Newton) and football (Sparky Woods), which unfortunately did not work out, but he was also responsible for the Gamecocks’ move to the Southeastern Conference.

He stepped down in ’92, being replaced by Mike McGee.  He is a member of the South Carolina’s Association of Letterman’s Hall of Fame.

Here’s what president Bob Caslen had to say about Dixon’s passing.

"The entire University of South Carolina family is saddened today by the passing of our former AD and current Trustee King Dixon. Our deepest condolences to his wife, Augusta, and the entire Dixon family. He leaves a lasting legacy and impact on the entire Gamecock community."