Hixon makes most of his second chance as a Giant

The kick-return specialist was waived by the Broncos early this season.

COLUMBUS (AP) — If the New Yortk Giants win the coin toss, kick-return specialist Domenik Hixon will be the first player with a chance to make his mark on the Super Bowl.

It’s quite an ending to a season that started rather miserably for the former Columbus prep player. He was returning the second-half kickoff in Denver’s season opener against Buffalo when Kevin Everett hit him and crumpled to the ground.

Everett was taken to a hospital with a spinal cord injury that was initially considered life-threatening. Doctors figured he would be paralyzed if he survived.

Although Hixon did nothing wrong, the moment stuck in his mind.

“After that, I really wasn’t myself playing football,” Hixon said. “There was a lot of hesitation. Just mentally, it kind of got to me.”

With Hixon struggling, the Broncos decided to go in a different direction.

They waived him after a loss to Indianapolis on Sept. 30.

A few days later, the Giants claimed him and gave him another chance.

“It was real tough,” Hixon said. “You hear about players who get cut and never play football again. You know you can play in the league, but you need another chance.”

He has made the most of this one, helping the Giants reach the Super Bowl.

They’ll play the undefeated New England Patriots on Sunday.

In the second-to-last game of the regular season, the Giants played in Buffalo.

Everett, who has recovered far better than initially expected, visited his teammates in the locker room and watched the game from a suite.

Hixon had followed his recovery through media reports and got a chance to meet him that day.

“Just to talk to him and have a casual conversation, it was helpful,” Hixon said.

A week later, Hixon scored his first career touchdown on a kick return during a 38-35 loss to New England in the final game of the regular season.

Hixon also had played a significant role in the Giants’ playoff run.

During their NFC championship victory in Green Bay, he returned kicks 33 and 36 yards and recovered a fumble.

The playoffs have been the highlight of his unexpected career.

Hixon was born in Germany, where his father served in the U.S. Army.

The family moved to the United States when he was in the eighth grade, in part because he wanted to play football.

When he attended Whitehall-Yearling in suburban Columbus, it didn’t seem he had much of a chance.

As a sophomore, he was one of the smallest players.

“He was a 5-foot-nothing, 145-pound kid who was afraid of his own shadow,” said Milan Smith, an assistant football coach at the time.

By the time he was a senior, Hixon had grown.

He was fast and showed good instincts.

“By the time he graduated, he was a 6-foot-2 man who few people wanted to defend when he was on offense and didn’t want to go against on defense,” Smith said.

College scouts were watching teammate Anthony Jordan and noticed Hixon, who got a scholarship offer to Akron.

He started at safety but moved to receiver as a junior, when Charlie Frye was the quarterback.

Hixon caught 131 passes for 2,902 yards and 14 touchdowns in his last two seasons.

Hixon broke a bone in his foot while working out for pro scouts. Denver drafted him in the fourth round, even though he would miss all the 2006 season because of the injury.