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Dixon Returns After Hyperventilating

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The Associated Press

Published: August 12, 2008

CORAL GABLES - Miami defensive tackle Antonio Dixon returned to practice this week after being taken to the hospital last week due to hyperventilating in practice.

Dixon, a 6-foot-3, 322-pound senior defensive tackle, stayed overnight in the hospital as tests were run. He was told everything was fine and to drink a lot of fluids.

"I was just excited and I couldn't take a breath," Dixon said. "It had not happened before. I have been playing football since the ninth grade, but I'll push through it and work through it."

Dixon missed three practices before returning Monday as he gradually worked into individual drills on both practices, but was limited during Tuesday's practice.

"You can't just come back the next day and throw them to the wolves," Coach Randy Shannon said. "We are going to ease him back into the fitness part of it."

Dixon recorded 21 tackles in 2007 and has lost 25 pounds in the offseason through additional individual workouts and avoiding eating late at night.

When he was a freshman, he was nicknamed "Two-Play Dix" by assistant coach Clint Hurtt because he was not in good enough shape to play more than two plays at a time.

"They don't call me that anymore," Dixon said. "Now, it's going to be '20-play Dix'."

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