The Buchtelite

Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: News

Media Credit: MCT Chase Blackburn at the Super Bowl press day.

Domenik Hixon promoted the University of Akron when he appeared in a commercial for UA on the heels of the football program's first Mid-American Championship in 2005. The commercial spot debuted during the second half of Super Bowl XL.

On Sunday, Hixon and Chase Blackburn, a senior defensive captain for the Zips in 2004, will promote UA in a different manner. The two former Zips are now members of the National Football Conference Champion New York Giants and will play on the team's special teams units against the AFC champions New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Different routes, same destination

Hixon and Blackburn were not highly coveted NFL prospects at the end of their collegiate careers, and each took a different road to get to Glendale, Ariz., this weekend.

Blackburn was signed by the Giants as a rookie free agent in June 2005 and was named to the team's active 53-man roster at the conclusion of training camp. The Marysville, Ohio, native made an immediate impact on the Giants. He played on the team's special teams units in the 2005 season opener against Arizona.

Blackburn credits his personal success and the team's playoff run this season to hard work and dedication.

"I have always taken pride in what I do, and the path that we have taken so far is just the same way," Blackburn said through New York Giants communications representative Craig Falicon. "It has been a workmanship attitude the whole way through, like a blue collar work attitude, and just persevering through everything."

The free-agent invitee would go on to play 15 games in 2005, including two starts at middle linebacker in place of injured starter Antonio Pierce.

Blackburn said that the two starts have been his biggest accomplishments in his young NFL career.

"That was probably the highlight of my career so far," he said. "I just work every week like I am going to be starting, and when I got a chance to go out there, I just took advantage of the opportunity."

Blackburn has remained a consistent special teams contributor for the past three seasons.

Despite being drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, Hixon's journey has been rockier than that of his college and professional teammate. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver injured his foot during pre-draft workouts. The injury ended up costing him his rookie season, as the Broncos placed him on the non-football injury list at the end of November 2006.

Continued...

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