Clinton-Dix shines for family
Former DP star thrives as rookie for Green Bay
As Ha Ha Clinton-Dix emerged from the tunnel at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium following his best ever performance as an NFL rookie, a throng of Green Bay Packers fans awaited beyond the security barriers.
They screamed his name, held out pens for autographs and jostled for position to see the Packers’ newest star.
Clinton-Dix did not know what to do. He was overwhelmed.
This new stardom has not come easy for the former Orlando Dr. Phillips standout and Alabama AllAmerican. When he’s not on the football field, he’s shy, reserved and somewhat unaccustomed to all the attention even though he’s always been a star football player.
Fortunately that Sunday two weeks ago, there were some familiar faces in the crowd of cheeseheads and Aaron Rodgers j e r s e y s. About a dozen friends and family members stood among the c rowd , all decked out in green No. 21 Clinton-Dix jerseys.
“It’s just very exciting to see him come back home and play in the NFL,” said Nicole Dix, the mother of the 6-foot-1, 208-pound safety. “It’s been crazy, a totally different experience and I’m just really enjoying it. It’s just a blessing.
“At 6 years old, he knew what he wanted to do, so to see him come from little league, to high school to college. ... It’s just amazing to see him have a goal and accomplish it. He loves what he does and there are no limits. I just love his attitude and he’s consistent. He’s a very humble kid.”
The smile that lit up his face when he finally found his mom and grandfather, Ju l i u s D i x , among the crowd of Packers fans was o b v i o u s . He w a s surrounded by those who make him comfortable, and he was back in his element if only for a moment.
“It’s the up-bringing ... we’ve always been family first and God. We’ve always kept that and always been grounded,” Nicole Dix said. “We’ve always been about helping each other, being grateful for where you’ve come from and thankful for what you’ve got and being able to help others in the process.”
He’s certainly helped his mother. He kept a promise to her that he made a long time ago when he gave her the keys to a brand-new home this past summer. Amid all of the interceptions and tackles and AllAmerican honors and national championships, being able to purchase a home for his mom is still his biggest accomplishment.
“I teared up and she teared up. ... It was just a great thing,” Clinton-Dix said of being able to give his mom a house. “Coming from Eatonville, it was just one thing I wanted to do for her was get her out of there and move her into a better place. To be able to hand her keys to a new house was an unbelievable thing for me.”
His mother had long ago put the bug in her children’s ears, telling Ha Ha and his sister, Dominique Dix, that she eventually wanted a new house.
“I used to tell him and my oldest daughter that whatever they want to do, I will help them do it,” Nicole Dix said. “The only thing I asked of them is that when they get older, that they buy me a h o u s e. Whatever it was, whether he went to the NFL or not ... they needed to come together and buy me a house.
“So when he gave me the keys he said, ‘ OK, Mom, I got my half.’ ... and I said, ‘No, no, no, you work that out with your sister.’ ... I never really expected it, but it was a goal I threw in their ear, something for them to do. It’s been great.”
She still works at Florida Hospital, and commutes there from her new Dr. Phillips-area home.
The Miami game was the first NFL contest the family was able to attend and the proudest of all those in attendance was p ro b a b l y C l i n t o n - D i x ’s grandpa. Julius Dix has always beamed with pride whenever talking about his grandson. He knew young Ha’sean — his given name before he adopted the nickname his grandmother gave him because he was always laughing — was going to be a star from the time he was in little league. It was special to see him live against the Dolphins.
Clinton-Dix led the Packers with seven tackles during the 27-24 victory over the Dolphins. He is third on the Packers with 35 tackles in seven games and has snagged one interception.
“It’s so exciting because it’s something that he has always really wanted to do, succeed and be the best at whatever he did,” Julius Dix said.
His grandfather is also amazed at the rising NFL star’s humility. Clinton-Dix hates talking about himself. If he could bypass the postpractice media sessions and post-game interviews, he’d gladly duck out the back door. He knows it’s his responsibility to represent the team, but he’d just rather not draw attention to himself if he can help it.
“I’ve shown him articles from the Internet that I’ve printed out and things about how good people say he is, and he’ll read two paragraphs and then say, ‘I don’t really want to read it,’ ” Julius Dix said. “He’s always been that way. He doesn’t like to read a lot about himself or talk about himself. He just wants to play hard and knows that if he plays hard, people will want to watch him play.
“He’s excited to see peo- ple enjoy watching him play when he’s out on the field.”
Clinton-Dix was familiar with Sun Life Stadium. It’s where he earned his second national championship ring when Alabama defeated Notre Dame in the BCS title game in 2013.
“Coming back to play in this stadium, there are a lot of memories, and I knew I had my family up there supporting me,” ClintonDix said. “It was just a great feeling.”
He’s getting used to the NFL and picking things up quite nicely j u st seven games into his career.
“I’m starting to understand these defenses a lot more, and I’m just trying to continue to get better each and every week,” he said. “The league is crazy. It’s hard to win in this league and you have teams coming at you every week with players just as good as you.”
It hits him every Sunday. He’s in the NFL. Millions of kids dream about it, but only a few actually come to realize that dream.
“I almost get teary-eyed coming out of the tunnel each and every game,” Clinton-Dix said. “It ’s a blessing. A dream come true.
“I don’t think I will ever get used to it. I don’t ever want to take it for granted. There are a lot of people who would love to be in my spot so I just make sure I cherish the moment and thank God for it.”