Kyle Dixon's College Coach Gives Patriots Fans Hope For 'Unbelievable' UDFA WR
It's safe to say that at this time two weeks ago, little to no New England Patriots fans had heard of the school Culver-Stockton. It's also an assumption that even less had heard the name Kyle Dixon at any point in their life.
Two weeks later, and both the school and person have become the talk of New England. The NAIA wide receiver signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Patriots following the 2026 NFL Draft, and the money he received was historic.
Dixon's initial contract comes with $252,000 in guarantees, the third-largest amount even given out by the Patriots to an undrafted free agent. Only CJ Dippre ($264k) and Efton Chism III ($259k) received more cash as UDFAs.
So, that begs the question. Who in the world is this Dixon player, and why did New England think so highly of him? Allow his college coach to explain.
"He Likes ... Getting Work Done"
"He loves the weight room, and so he worked really, really hard in that part of it," Culver-Stockton head coach Tom Sallay told Patriots On SI. "Being able to craft his skill, he likes doing drills. He likes getting out there on the field and and getting work done. So they're gonna get a guy (that's) worked really hard, will show up every day, give you everything that has."
Dixon was a record-breaking receiver in the Heart of America Conference. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound pass catcher caught 143 passes to go along with 2,394 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in two years with the Wildcats. In 2025 alone, his 83 receptions earned him a spot on the NAIA All-American Team.
But before that, he was a Division I baseball pitcher. He had stints with Southern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville and Georgia Gwinnett before falling back in love with football at Culver-Stockton. That's where he was able to use his physical gifts to his advantage.
"Obviously, when you look at him, he looks like a freaking Greek god. He's 220 pounds, he's he's all ripped up," Sallay said. "(He's) got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. Every guy got a little bit of an ego to himself, and he wants to be able to go out and tell everybody that he's worth what they gave him,"
Dixon, who comes from Carlinville, Illinois, with a population of just under 6,000 people, might not have expected to come this far. He had once lost his joy for baseball. Instead, he finds himself on the defending AFC champions.
"Unbelievable person. In the classroom, he's a 3.8 (grade point average) student, he does everything right. He practices every day. He's not a diva by any means," Sallay said. "He's never been a 'me' guy. ... He wants to be great, but he understands that it doesn't always have to be him. And that's a fun guy to be able to coach as a football coach."
From Division I Baseball To The NFL
Scouting staffs across the NFL pride themselves in finding diamonds in the rough. A lot of that comes down to stopping at smaller schools to watch prospects you might not have ever considered. Part of those stops were at Culver-Stockton, where Sallay says 31 of 32 teams made a visit.
While some of them might have just been checking off a box to make their bosses happy, others returned. Some contacted the school for virtual meetings with Dixon. His pro day helped put him more on the map. An invite to the Hula Bowl put him in front of every single team one more time.
Then it started to become an actual realization that Dixon was on the cusp of an NFL contract.
"You knew more and more and more that it was getting more and more real," Sallay said. "For him, I know it was a fun process, a nerve wracking process, just like with any guy that has a chance to go that league because you don't know exactly what's going to happen. But it was fun to be able to be part of that with him and for him, and to be able to brag about him because we were lucky enough to be able to coach him for a couple years."
"They're Gonna Love Him"
A busy third day of the NFL Draft came and went, and Dixon -- expectedly -- didn't hear his name called on the TV. With plenty of coaches and family members by his side, something he requested, Dixon hopped on the phone waiting for an opportunity.
Then the phone call from New England came. By the end of the long day, Dixon became the newest member of the Patriots
What are the Patriots getting in Culver-Stockton wide receiver Kyle Dixon? Let his head coach, Tom Sallay, explain.
- Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports) May 2, 2026
"He liked getting out there on the field and getting work done. They're gonna get a guy that worked really hard, will show up every day. … He wants to be able to…
"When he finally got the call, and you could see the relief on his face that he knew where he was going, he was going to get his shot. It was really, really awesome," Sallay said. "Something that I'll never forget."
He's not the first NAIA player to join New England's roster. In fact, he's not even the second. Offensive guard Andrew Rupcich -- who the Patriots signed to their practice squad last season -- played his college ball at Culver Stockton for six years, while defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. attended Friends University from 2018 to 2019.
Sallay knows that Culver-Stockton isn't Ohio State or any other power conference school. He is well aware that it may take longer for the kids on his roster to truly develop into their full selves. In Dixon's case, that development has landed him at a place with six Super Bowl banners hanging up.
"They're getting a great kid," Sallay said. "He's gonna come in there, he's gonna work hard. They're gonna love him. He's going to be a great special teams kid. ... He's going to excel on specials, and he's going to be a fun, fun kid to watch."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Kyle Dixon's College Coach Gives Patriots Fans Hope For 'Unbelievable' UDFA WR.
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 5:00 AM.