Jordon Dizon

Infobox NFLactive
name=Jordon Dizon


caption =Jordon Dizon before the 2007 Colorado spring game, April 14 2007.
currentteam=Detroit Lions
currentnumber=57
currentposition=Linebacker
birthdate=birth date and age|1986|1|16
birthplace=Kauai, Hawaii
heightft=6
heightin=0
weight=229
debutyear=
debutteam=
college=Colorado
draftyear=2008
draftround=2
draftpick=45
pastteams=
* Detroit Lions (2008-present)
status=Active
highlights=
* 2007 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
* 2007 Consensus All-American
* 2007 All Big 12
statweek=
statseason=
statlabel1=
statvalue1=
statlabel2=
statvalue2=
statlabel3=
statvalue3=
nfl=

Jordon Dizon (born January 16, 1986 in Kauai, Hawaii, United States), is an American linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. Dizon played college football for the University of Colorado. He was voted runner-up for the 2007 Butkus Awardcite web |url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3843&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=1350018| publisher=CUBuffs.com | date=2007-12-07 | accessdate=2007-12-10 |title=Dizon Finishes As A Runner-Up In Butkus Race] , given each year to college football's best linebacker. Dizon was selected as a consensus first-team All American by the Walter Camp Football Foundationcite web |url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=1349521 | publisher=CUBuffs.com | date=2007-12-06 | accessdate=2007-12-07 |title=Dizon Named Walter Camp All-American] ,the Associated Presscite web |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/11/sports/FBC-AP-All-America-Team.php| publisher=International Herald Tribune | date=2007-12-11 | accessdate=2007-12-11 |title=Heisman winner Tebow, McFadden highlight AP All-Amercian team] , Sporting News, ESPNcite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=3158430| publisher=ESPN.com | date=2007-12-17 | accessdate=2007-12-17 |title=Tebow, McFadden lead 2007 All-America team] , and Rivals.comcite web |url=http://colorado.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=745409|title=Rivals.com 2007 All-American Team] for the 2007 NCAA Division I-A football season, and was named the Big 12 Conference's Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.cite web |url=http://www.big12sports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112707aaf.html|title=2007 All-Big 12] A four-year starter for the Buffs, Dizon finished his collegiate career as the second-leading tackler among all active players, trailing only Central Michigan's Thomas "Red" Keith.cite web |url=http://www.cubuffs.com/pdf4/94623.pdf?ATCLID=66759&SPSID=3845&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600 |title=Mid-Season All-Big 12]

High school

Dizon attended Waimea High School on his native island of Kauai, Hawaii. Playing running back and linebacker for the school of 860, Dizon rushed for convert|1157|yd|m|0 and 13 touchdowns in only five games as a junior, registering 75 stops on defense. During that year, Dizon rushed 37 times for convert|376|yd|m|0 and five touchdowns in a 55-0 win over Kapaa -- all career highs. Injured through most of his senior season (two games played: one carry, convert|12|yd|m|0, one touchdown; nine catches, convert|250|yd|m|-1, three touchdowns), the Buffaloes were the only program to extend Dizon a scholarship offer, although he was recruited by other Big 12 and Pac-10 schools. He committed to play in Boulder on July 8, 2003, despite never having visited the state of Colorado.cite web |url=http://colorado.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=21376|title=Rivals.com profile] Dizon also lettered in basketball, track, and soccer during his time in high school.

College career

Jordon Dizon first played safety as a true freshman at Colorado, but was moved to linebacker before the season began. On September 4, 2004, playing against Colorado State University, Dizon became the first true freshman in school history to start a season opener at inside linebacker. Playing in all 12 games as an 18-year old, Dizon easily set the school freshman record for tackles in a season with 82. Over the next two years, Dizon continued to rack up the tackles, posting 61 in 2005 and 137 in 2006. The latter number was most tackles made by a CU player in nearly a decade (Ryan Sutter had 170 in 1997).

As a senior, Dizon recorded the best statistical season for a Buff linebacker since Matt Russell's 1996 Butkus-winning campaign. Dizon lost the 2007 Butkus Award by an undisclosed number of votes to Ohio State's James Laurinaitis, despite tallying 57 more total tackles, 81 more solo tackles, and 2.5 more tackles-for-loss than the Buckeye junior.cite web |url=http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/fls/17300/stats/football/2007/teamcume.htm|title=2007 Ohio State Football Stats] Dizon's numbers also came against superior competition, as Colorado played the 15th hardest schedule in the nation, while Ohio State's strength of schedule ranked 62nd.cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt07.htm|title=Jeff Sagarin NCAA football ratings]

During 2007, Dizon posted a single-game career-high in tackles against CSU (22) and set the single-season school record for third-down stops (3DS), with 19 in 12 games. Rarely leaving the field for the Buffs, Dizon missed only 34 of Colorado's 830 defensive snaps during the 2007 season.cite web |url=http://www.cubuffs.com/pdf5/98410.pdf?ATCLID=1207369&SPSID=3844&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600|title=CU 2007 season stats] His 160 tackles were nearly double the next closest player on the team (safety Dan Dykes registered 83), and he finished his senior season with the most total tackles of any player on any Division I team in the nation.cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/natlRank.jsp?year=2007&div=4&rpt=IA_playertotaltackles&site=org|title=NCAA tackling stats] Colorado linebackers coach Brian Cabral, who recruited Dizon out of high school, has called the senior "the most complete, every down player that I’ve ever coached."cite web |url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3845&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=66759&Q_SEASON=2007
title=University of Colorado Bio]

During CU's pro timing day, Dizon ran the forty yard dash in 4.59 seconds -- which would have registered among the five fastest times recorded by a linebacker at the 2008 NFL Combine. His 34.5 inch vertical jump also impressed scouts, while Dizon's meager 12 repetitions lifting 225 pounds was considered poor for a linebacker.On April 26, 2008, Dizon was chosen 45th overall in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft by the Detroit Lions.cite web |url=http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3843&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=14155962007
title=Pro Timing Day in Boulder]

Career stats

Awards and Recognition

*2004
**Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year
**Defensive Freshman of the Year (Big 12 Coaches)cite web | url=http://buffzone.com/news/2007/nov/27/dizon-named-big-12-defensive-player-year/ | publisher=DailyCamera.com | date=2007-11-27 | accessdate=2007-11-27 | title=Buffs' Dizon named Big 12 defensive player of year]
**Second-team Freshman All-American (The Sporting News, Rivals.com)
**Honorable mention All-Big 12 (Associated Press)
**Freshman All-Big 12 team (The Sporting News)

*2005
**Honorable mention All-Big 12 (Big 12 Coaches)

*2006
**Second-team All-Big 12 (Associated Press)
**Honorable mention All-Big 12 (Big 12 Coaches)
**First-team All-Big 12 (San Antonio Express-News)
**Butkus Award watch list

*2007
**Consensus First-team All-American
***Walter Camp Football Foundation
***The Sporting News
***Associated Press
***ESPN
***Rivals.com
**Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
**First-team All-Big 12 (Big 12 Coaches, San Antonio Express-News)
**Butkus Award Runner-up
**Lott Trophy semifinalist
**Second-team Academic All-Big 12
**Mid-season All-American
***Sports Illustratedcite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/ncaa/midseason.all.americans/index.html |title=SI Mid-Season All-Americans]
***Rivals.comcite web |url=http://colorado.rivals.com |title=Rivals Mid-Season All-Americans]
***Phil Steele’s College Football
**Mid-season All-Big 12

Personal Information

Jordon Dizon graduated from the University of Colorado in May 2008 with a degree in economics. He attended Waimea High School in Kauai, Hawaii, the westernmost high school in the United States.cite web |url=http://www.hawaiilink.net/~whs/|title=Waimea High School] Growing up in Kauai, Dizon often hunted wild boar with only a knife.cite web |url=http://colorado.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=894&CID=533212|title=Rivals.com Interview] He is an avid golfer, shooting sub-80 before his senior season began.cite web |url=http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2006/aug/22/buff-039backer-dizon-ready-to-tee-it-up/| | publisher=DailyCamera.com | date=2007-08-22 | accessdate=2007-11-30 | title=Buff 'backer Dizon ready to tee it up] Dizon is sponsored by Under Armour.

Related Pages

*University of Colorado at Boulder
*Colorado Buffaloes
*Colorado Buffaloes football
*2005 Colorado Buffaloes football team
*2006 Colorado Buffaloes football team
*2007 Colorado Buffaloes football team
*2007 College Football All-America Team

References

External links

* [http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3845&SPID=255&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=66759&Q_SEASON=2007 University of Colorado Bio ]