Buffs’ receiver Nixon has renewed focus on his job

B OULDER» As a freshman with the Colorado football team in 2017, receiver KD Nixon reasoned that the harder he worked on the field, the better he would get.

During some of those extra sessions on the Buffaloes’ indoor practice field, Nixon would see running back Phillip Lindsay in the trainer’s room.

“Phil used to laugh and be like, ‘Bro, why are you working so hard?’ I was like, ‘I’m trying to be just like you and go to the NFL,’” Nixon said of his former teammate and current Denver Broncos star. “Crazy thing is, I see why he was in the training room more than the indoor (field).”

Lindsay was well known for his relentless effort in taking care of body, through stretching, yoga and hours of recovery. He worked hard, but knew the value of keeping his body healthy.

Nixon is beginning to understand that, as well.

“Now, I’m in the training room more than the indoor,” he said. “I spend at least three hours a day in the training room: going to the weight room, getting stretched by the strength coaches, going to rehab.

“There’s a lot that goes into it. As a freshman and sophomore, you don’t see that. You just want to play football: I want to get my name on the board, I want to make 1,000 yards, score a lot of touchdowns and put it on for Colorado. Now, as you become a junior, you see what you need to do. Everything happens for a reason and I’m just blessed to finally catch onto it now in my junior year.”

Nixon is one of the top returning receivers in the Pac-12, having caught 52 passes for 636 yards and four touchdowns in 2018, but the 5-foot-8, 185-pound speedster from DeSoto, Texas, comes into this season with a much different mindset.

He now views football like his job. While he has always been blessed with talent, he’s realizing it’s more than that. In addition to taking better care of his body, he remained in Boulder for the summer to train and even said he’s decided to “leave girls alone” so he can concentrate on the game.

“That’s a big upgrade in maturity in me being able to stay focused on football,” he said. “That’s all I need right now.”