ORONO – Lionel Nixon Jr. knows there is a simple reality about playing cornerback.

“Every time I play corner, it’s a 50-50 chance of me getting beat,” Nixon said Thursday before the University of Maine football team practiced in preparation for Saturday’s crucial Colonial Athletic Association game at Massachusetts.

The senior from New Haven, Conn., is having the most productive season of his career. Nixon ranks fourth on the team with 55 tackles, including two sacks, and has made one interception and five pass breakups.

“He’s been a consistent performer week to week at the corner position,” UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove said of the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder. “Sometimes, you take for granted that he’s out there because of his ability level and the responsibility that he has. It’s almost like he can take somebody out of the game.

“He can really kind of stop teams from throwing his way just by being in position within the framework of the defense.”

Nixon has been a four-year contributor in the UMaine secondary. It has taken him the better part of four seasons to develop into the kind of steady cornerback he has become.

Initially, Nixon tried to let his speed and ability carry his play. He found out playing at the Division I level requires more than natural talent.

“It was a learning experience for me,” Nixon said. “I didn’t play my technique too well; I relied too much on my speed and I didn’t really trust my team as much as I should have.”

The growing pains were obvious for Nixon, who plays a position where mistakes are magnified. At cornerback, if your man beats you and catches a touchdown pass, the whole stadium knows it.

Nixon accepts the physical challenge of taking on the opposition’s top wide receivers.

“As a corner you go against maybe the best athletes on the field in terms of ball skills and maybe speed,” Nixon said.

Dealing with the psychological aspects of giving up some big plays is another part of the game Nixon has learned.

“You’ve got to erase it from your mind and play the next play,” said Nixon, who has started 14 of the last 16 games in which he has played. “You’ve got to learn from it as quickly as you can, then forget it.”

Nixon is pleased with the way he has progressed during his career. He was sidetracked last season when he missed four games with a knee injury.

However, he worked his way back into shape without having to undergo surgery.

“He’s had to overcome some setbacks,” Cosgrove said. “He’s gotten stronger; the weight room has helped him a lot.”

Nixon credits the people around him at UMaine with fostering his improvement.

“Coaching and technique and the gifts I have been given and my teammates pushing me have helped me be a player that can help this program be successful,” he said.

Nixon said his elevated tackle numbers this fall have been the result of a well-designed defense that has put him in position to make plays.

He has matured tremendously since arriving at UMaine after a stellar career at Hyde Leadership High School in Hamden, Conn. UMaine was the only school to offer him a scholarship.

Nixon is thankful for the support and guidance provided by his parents, Lionel Sr. and Erika, along with his grandmother Sarah Nixon.

“My family’s been a big part of my life and I just want to do right by them,” Nixon said. “Even though there’s going to be tough times, you’ve got to realize family’s going to stay together.”

Nixon comes from a family of successful athletes. Older brother Brandon McLean was a wide receiver at Connecticut, while younger brother James Nixon is a freshman wide receiver at Temple.

Nixon is concentrating on earning his degree in kinesiology and physical education. He wants to be a personal trainer.

“Nix loves the game and he wants to get a college degree and, on top of that, I think he wants to make himself a better young man, and he’s done those things here,” Cosgrove said.

Nixon’s short-term goal is to help UMaine take the next step toward the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

“Our destiny’s in our own hands,” Nixon said. “We’re trying to go down to UMass and come out with a win.”

pwarner@bangordailynews.net

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