Steelers cut Bethel Park native

The curious NFL football career of Jake Dixon came to an abrupt end when the Pittsburgh Steelers cut the Bethel Park native on Aug. 16 to meet the deadline of reducing rosters to 85 players.
After another round of reductions Aug. 23, NFL rosters must be trimmed to the 53 limit by 4 p.m. Aug. 30.
Dixon signed a free-agent contract on April 30 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who open the season at 1 p.m. Sept. 11 at Cincinnati.
At the time, Dixon said it was a ‘dream’ come true because every kid imagines playing in the NFL.
Dixon, however, was not the average child. He excelled at everything.
In high school, Dixon was a three-sport standout, excelling in football, basketball and volleyball. He was the 2016 Almanac Athlete of the Year as well as four-time Almanac volleyball MVP and all-state performer.
Dixon earned multiple scholarship offers.
The Ivy League, Davidson and Bucknell courted him for football. Stanford and Penn State wanted him for volleyball. Dixon though took his talents to Lewis University, where he was part of a Division I recruiting class ranked No. 2 nationally.
Dixon, however, missed the gridiron so in 2017 he transferred to Duquesne University to pursue his football passion.
An all-conference performer scholastically, he adapted well. Dixon became an All-America lineman for the Dukes.
After moving from tight end to tackle at the end of the 2020-21 spring season, Dixon blossomed into a 6-6, 290-pound tackle for the Dukes.
He appeared in a school-record 50 career games and was a two-time, first-team All-Northeast Conference offensive lineman. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, he was the Lineman MVP of the FCS Bowl held in Daytona Beach, Fla.
While at Duquesne, Dixon earned a degree in accounting. He has passed his CPA exam. Additionally, he interned at Price-Waterhouse and Schneider Downs, which offered him a position but he put that on hold to train with the Steelers.