Former South Carolina football defensive back makes yet another All-Pro team

The Green Bay Packers were eliminated from the NFL Playoffs this past weekend after falling on the road in a close game to the San Francisco 49ers. However, one of the Packers' most important players had a nice showing in the team's two-game postseason run. South Carolina football alum Keisean Nixon logged 16 tackles at cornerback across the two games and had a 73-yard kickoff return against the '9ers.

Nixon had already been named to two All-Pro teams since the regular season ended less than one month ago. The NFLPA and the AP both included Nixon on the 1st-team All-Pro rosters as the premier kick returner in the game. On Monday, he was named an All-Pro once again, this time by the Pro Football Writers Association. He was honored as a 1st-team player.

All of these accolades are well-deserved for the California native. Nixon led the NFL in kick return yardage (782 yards) and average yards per return (26.1 yards) in 2023. He was also an All-Pro in 2022.

Interestingly enough, Keisean Nixon was a kick returner when he played for the South Carolina football team. However, this should not be an indictment on former Gamecock head coach Will Muschamp. Nixon was in Columbia at the same time as Deebo Samuel, the best kickoff returner in the history of the Gamecock program. When Samuel was injured for part of the 2017 season, Rashad Fenton and AJ Turner got the chance to be back deep as Fenton had a return touchdown in 2015, and Turner had a 70-yard return in 2016.

Nixon has also turned into a very good corner in the NFL, as well. Spending most of the early parts of his career as a backup with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, Nixon has blossomed in Green Bay since becoming the starter across from fellow big-time corner Jaire Alexander (who, ironically, was committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks before flipping to Louisville).

Nixon joins Stephon Gilmore as the only active Gamecocks to be selected to multiple All-Pro teams.