2026 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Stephen Dix Jr, LB, University of Arkansas

• Name: Stephen Dix Jr
• Position: LB
• College: University of Arkansas
• Height: 6′ 2″
• Weight: 245 lbs
• X: @thesdj_
• Instagram: @thesdj_

What made you decide you wanted to be a football player?

The sport in general is very team based and driven. I just grew up doing a lot and my dad introduced me to the game. That’s what he played and I really enjoyed it. You know it’s just the passion that I have that has been built over the years and you know it’s just a great game and I love playing it.

What are your favorite moments from your football life?

Definitely my Pop Warner years when I first had won what we had called the Super Bowl for Pop Warner. I think that was my first championship ever. Then in high school where I won a state championship with my team in 2017 and then I would definitely say getting my dream offer out of high school when I went to Florida State.

What are you looking to achieve as a football player going forward?

What I’m looking to achieve as a football player is obviously make it to the highest level of this and it’ll be the NFL. Just to be able to go on a team and be able to accomplish a life goal of mine that’s been there since day one since my dad bought me my first helmet and shoulder pads that dream is something that’s attached for him and I and I think that it would just be a great achievement for the both of us and it would mean a lot. 

If you could hang out with any football player past or present for a day, who and why?

It would definitely be two players. One would be Michael Vick because that’s my favorite player ever. I loved watching him as a kid when I was growing up and I always wanted to be a quarterback like him when I played quarterback when I was like seven or eight. For my position now linebacker it would definitely have to be Luke Kuechly just because of how smart and savvy he is with the game and everything he does is premeditated because he just knows the game when it happens before it happens.

Which one of your family members inspires you the most and why?

I would definitely say my dad because he showed me what it is to work hard to be resilient, to be determined, to persevere, to be tough, and to be gritty. I think that when I see that I think what people see in me and how I work is what I’ve seen my father do before me every single day of my life, you know all the times he’s worked really hard to provide a great life for me and my siblings. I think that he’s just the epitome of what that means to be tough and work harder to be selfless.  

What is your favorite defensive scheme and why?

It’s honestly a 4-2-5. That’s something that I’ve grown into as I’ve gotten to play more defenses, but I like that scheme a lot because it allows me to play free, be simple in my job description and play fast.

What should we know about Stephen Dix Jr the person?

You should know that Stephen Dix Jr is a man of principles. He acts on what he needs to do not so much as his feelings. And overall, he’s just a person that delivers at a high-quality standard as best as he can no matter what the circumstances are and honestly, he’s a person that’s very hard working and never gives up.

What stands out about your film the most?

My physicality and definitely playing consistently hard as I possibly can but definitely my physicality. 

How do you handle challenges both in life and on the football field?

I think you handle challenges both on the football field and in life the same way you face them head on and you attack them fiercely and you don’t avoid them. That’s the best way I’ve always been taught. I think that’s the best way to approach something like a challenge and it also saves time and is the most efficient and direct approach.

What would a team get in a player like you?

For me, I think a team would get a player who leads by example. A man of few words but when he speaks, he will be listened to but more importantly his actions will stand out a lot more, especially on the field and off the field and in any aspect of my life.

What do you love the most about the game of football?

I would say the camaraderie. Definitely you walk in and join a team and you’re playing with a bunch of guys that are trying to accomplish the same goal and are working together but I think most of it is one big friendship and brotherhood that you guys build upon with all the struggles and adversity you face together. It’s the struggles that create a bond that will last a lifetime wherever you go and play and I think that’s just the best thing about it, making a lot of new brothers and friends along the way.

Who is the most underrated player you’ve played with and why?

It would be one of my previous linebackers that I played with when I was at Marshall, Elias Neal. I thought he was a very, very talented linebacker. He was little on the smaller side, but his physicality made up for it he played like he was 250 pounds. I think he was a great leader, and I think he was a player that was just elite in all aspects and he’s on the Rams now.