Like father, like son, like son

Gerald and Gerald get love of football from dad, Gerald

By Barry Byers - Barry Byers

This is a big week for Gerald Dixon.

The one at Northwestern, the one at Rock Hill, and the one at South Pointe.

All three, the father and his two sons, are involved in two of the biggest Friday night football games in the state.

Photo 1: Like father, like son, like son

Gerald Sr. is an assistant coach at Rock Hill High School. His Bearcats host the Northwestern Trojans, where Gerald Jr. starts at defensive tackle. Both teams are 2-0 and among the state's top-12 ranked teams.

The other Gerald plays tight end and defensive end for 2-0 South Pointe. Although he's out with a broken bone in his hand four to six weeks, Gerald will be on the sideline cheering for his Stallions when they take on 3-0 Clover on Friday.

Three Gerald Dixons. One at each of Rock Hill's three high schools. The Northwestern at Rock Hill game is the first of three meetings this season involving the Dixons.

"It's kind of funny when I take them to USC games,'' Gerald Sr. said. "When I tell people I have two sons, both sophomores in high school, they look at me funny and laugh when I tell them they are named after me.

"But once they meet them and see the resemblance, they believe me. What they don't believe is that they are both named Gerald. They ask if I'm trying to be the next George Foreman.''

Gerald Sr. has a long way to go before catching up with Foreman, an ex-heavyweight boxing champion. He named his five sons George Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and George VI.

And don't worry. Gerald Sr. runs several businesses he started with the money he made playing 10 seasons in the NFL, so he's not interested in inventing an indoor greaseless grill or frying pan.

Gerald Sr. starred at Rock Hill High School and spent his first two college years playing at Garden City Kansas Junior College. He moved on to South Carolina and after an outstanding season at linebacker, was drafted by the NFL's Cleveland Browns in 1992. He was an All-American his senior season.

He had two sons while playing in the NFL, and the moms of both named them after their dad.

"I dated Gerald Jr.'s mom, Shereeta Hall in high school, and I dated Gerald's mom, Dequeta Robinson when I was playing in the NFL,'' Gerald Sr. said. "We had sons together that were born five months apart, and they were named after me.

"We all get along and we are friends. You can't let anything come between you and family.''

Ah, but what about when you're on a football field staring across at each other? No problem said all three Geralds.

"It's like when my first cousin, Chris Hope, plays a pro game,'' Gerald Sr. said. "When he's playing one of my teams, I'm wanting Chris to have a great game, but I'm pulling for my team to win.

"When we play Northwestern on Friday and South Pointe in the final game of the regular season, I want my sons to have really good games. But I'm a Bearcat and I want us to win.''

If South Pointe hadn't opened, Gerald, the youngest of the two, would have played at Rock Hill. Gerald said he didn't like it at first, but once he got to South Pointe, he found out he likes it there.

Sure, both would have liked to share their high school careers with their dad, but the way they see it, each has the best of three worlds.

Gerald Jr. wanted to play at Northwestern. The Trojans' purple and gold runs on his mom's side of the family and he's right where he wants to be.

"Still, I'd like to be with my dad,'' Gerald Jr. said. "But I'd rather for him to be over here than for me to be at Rock Hill.

"I grew up wanting to play for coach (Jimmy) Moose Wallace. Now that he's back, I'm getting my chance and I'm enjoying every minute. When we play Friday, it won't be a problem for either of us, me or my dad.''

The two Geralds spend lots of time with their dad. They go out and eat, to movies and he takes them to Gamecocks' games most weekends when USC is home.

The talk eventually turns to football, but Gerald Jr. said it never gets heated because of the rivalries.

Family get-togethers, they said, are times for fun. The most recent have been held at the home Hope built for his mom and dad, grilling outside and swimming in the pool.

"Dad's real good about the way he handles this,'' Gerald Sr. said. "People will ask him when he's moving us to Rock Hill and he tells them it won't happen, that we are locked in and where we want to be.''

They've had their time together. The two younger Geralds were standouts in Pee Wee and GRA-Y football for the Falcons and Gerald Sr. was an assistant coach.

He was on the staff when the GRA-Y all-stars played for the state championship in 2003 that beat Darlington at Myrtle Beach High School.

The next season, Gerald Jr. played at Rawlinson Road and Gerald at Saluda Trail. It was the first time they hadn't played together.

"It was odd,'' Gerald said. "He was playing tight end and he had to block me because I was playing defensive end. The way I see it, I got the best of him.''

There will be more opportunities, but maybe not this season. Gerald is 50-50 for the Stallions' game against Northwestern on Oct. 2. He hopes to be in a soft cast by then and cleared to play.

But he'll for sure be ready, barring any setbacks, when the Stallions and Bearcats play on Nov. 7.

"I'm fine with the way things worked out, but I do wish they were at Rock Hill with me,'' Gerald Sr. said. "They play for good coaches. Coach Wallace has sent a lot of players to college. Coach (Bobby) Carroll was with coach Wallace for a lot of years and was part of all those players getting scholarships.

"I cut up with them, but the only thing I get on them about is their grades. Got to have them to get to college.''