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Newest Eagle Antonio Dixon's long hard road

The newest Eagle, defensive tackle Antonio Dixon hasn't had the easiest life or road to the NFL. In fact, you could argue that it's been the hardest.

Dixon grew up homeless, a fact that he would hide from friends out of embarrassment.

It's not easy to hide when you're twice as big as the rest of the boys in the neighborhood. But that didn't stop Antonio Dixon from ducking around a corner building or telling the "little lies" that concealed the truth from his friends - he and his family were homeless. Whenever his buddies asked about going to the movies or hanging out after school, Dixon would dream up an excuse that kept them from knowing he was due at the Homeless Assistance Center in downtown Miami before its 7 p.m. curfew.

In addition to being homeless Dixon had a father in prison, a severe speech impediment, and a learning disability. In fact, by the time he got to high school he could barely read. Fast forward 5 years and he's got a college degree and job in the NFL.

This is a guy you want to root for. I'd definitely recommend reading the rest of that Palm Beach Post article.

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