Kent State junior wide receiver Antwan Dixon received the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year award after a two-year hiatus due to aplastic anemia.
The rare blood condition first impacted him in high school. Dixon finished his freshman season at Kent State in 2015 after he led the team in receiving with 355 yards on 26 catches through nine games. The symptoms took hold and required a variety of treatments.
Dixon was bedridden and lost over 50 pounds. Ultimately, he received a bone marrow transplant from his father that, coupled with chemotherapy, allowed him to recover and return to Kent State (2-10) during the 2018 spring semester.