After two third places, Nixon hungry for title

Dean Juipe

Tuesday, April 1, 2003 | 9:07 a.m.

At 125 pounds, Lyle Nixon wouldn't seem like a football player.

But the fact he put in two seasons as a walk-on with the Rebels speaks for itself. He's a tough guy.

And that toughness, along with speed and determination, has helped Nixon develop into one of the country's top collegiate boxers.

When UNLV hosts the National Collegiate Boxing Championships this week at the Cox Pavilion, Nixon will be poised for a run at a national title that has barely eluded him in two previous tries. He's a two-time national bronze medalist and one of the Rebels to keep an eye on during the Thursday-through-Saturday event.

"I have to do what I'm trained to do," he said Monday during his workout in UNLV's spartan, on-campus gym. "I need to control the ring."

Nixon, 23, is a UNLV senior who will graduate this spring with a degree in kinesiology. That study of strength and conditioning not only comes in handy in the ring, but is expected to lead Nixon to a job in what will be his chosen profession.

"I like being around athletes," he said. "I'm going to look for a job as an athletic trainer or something similar."

But first up is a run at a national championship in a sport he has participated in for less than three years.

In the 2001 national tournament, Nixon lost to a representative from Army and finished third.

In the 2002 tournament, he lost to a representative from the Navy and finished third.

This time he figures his toughest competition will be the defending national champion from Lock Haven, and he knows what to expect.

"We fought once (at Mandalay Bay last year) and he's a slick southpaw," Nixon said of his scouting report. "He beat me by decision, and thinking about it reminds me that one of the things I have to do is come out relaxed. Sometimes I'm too stiff and put too much pressure on myself."

Nixon is a native of Fontana, Calif., who moved to Las Vegas with his mother and completed his high-school studies at Western. He was a member of that school's most recent state championship football team, and also participated in track and, briefly, basketball.

He said he chose UNLV not only because it was convenient, but because the school responded to his inquiries in a friendly and prompt manner. Once at UNLV, he walked on with the football team (as a safety) for two seasons before turning his attention to boxing.

"I needed something extracurricular to do and I had a friend on the team," he said. "I came over and met Skip (Kelp, the team's head coach) and I took a liking to it.

"He said 'Let's get you started' and I started to catch on."

In rapid order, Nixon became an exceptional collegiate fighter.

"I've always been a boxing fan but you look at stuff in a different way once you've been in the ring," he said. "It's a lot different, especially at first.

"I wasn't worried about pain or anything, because I'd been involved in football. But I learned pretty quick that I really didn't want to get hit."

Nixon said he harbors no ambition to be a professional fighter and will likely leave the sport behind after graduation.

"I love being in the gym, but I also want to get on with the next part of my life," he said, a balanced outlook among his many personal assets.