Nixon, John “Hook”
Class of 1968Nixon, a three-sport star who, in 1966, became one of the first black student to attend New Hanover High School. He was one of the only black players on some of the Wildcat teams.
John was born October 21, 1949 in Wilmington. He attended the all-black Williston High School for ninth grade, starring in football, baseball and basketball. In 1965 he was convinced by Aaron McCrae, Jr. to transfer to New Hanover to play for legendary couch Leon Brogden. By the time he was a junior, Nixon was named all-state in baseball and all conference football and basketball. His senior year was even better than his junior, garnering all-state honors in baseball and football and getting an All-American honorable nod in football thanks to 10 touchdown receptions. He was the state player of the year in basketball averaging more than 20 points a game. In 2007, Bill Hardee, a baseball coach and brother of Wilmington baseball legend Buck Hardee, stated Nixon was one of the best athletes to come out of New Hanover High School.
After graduating NHHS in 1968 he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1969 Major League Baseball. He played professional baseball for 4 seasons, compiling a .230 batting average 6 home runs and 38 RBIs in 162 games with the St. Petersburg Cardinals and Cedar Rapids Cardinals. Nixon later joined the U.S. Army, where he had a 35 year career, rising to the rank of Master Sergeant.
Accolades: One of the first Black students to attend New Hanover High School and star athlete.