STAMFORD -- Marcus Dixon was homeless as a young teenager. He was in a motorcycle accident as a youth that nearly killed him. His life made a "180-degree turn" after a north Stamford family adopted him at 17. He played football at West Point.
Dixon's dramatic life ended at age 22 Thursday night when he removed the magazine from his .45-caliber Glock pistol, and tried to demonstrate to friends that it was safe by pulling the trigger with the gun pointed at his head.
One round was hidden in the chamber and Dixon fatally shot himself, police said.
"He was the toughest son-of-a-gun I ever coached," former Stamford High School football coach Kevin Jones said. "Part of his background was being a survivor. If there was any question about who you wanted on your side, I would pick Marcus Dixon."
Dixon never knew his biological mother. He told The Advocate four years ago that his father dropped him off in Stamford when he was in seventh grade with the parting words: "Kid, you're on your own now."
He managed to avoid foster homes. While bouncing around from one friend's home to another, he became friends with 15-year-old Lauren McInerney. After her family took a liking to Dixon, Rose and Barry McInerney tracked his father down and legally adopted him. Dixon told The Advocate four years ago that it turned his life around.
Dixon's acceptance to West Point "was probably one of the finest moments of my professional career," Jones said. "For him to go to West Point was such a great turnaround."
Jones, who kept up with his former player through the years, said Dixon played for the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School after graduating from Stamford High School in 2009. He played for the Army team at West Point under the name Marcus McInerney two years ago, but did not play any games, Jones said. Last year, he opted out of the football program to concentrate on academics, Jones said.
Current Stamford High School Head Coach Bryan Hocter said he ran into Dixon at the Stamford Government Center in July while Dixon was taking an exam in hopes of becoming a Stamford police officer.
"He was dressed really nicely, and spoke very well. I told him that I did not recognize him. He said, `Coach, I have grown up and come a long way,'" Hocter said.
Shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday, Dixon was showing his gun to two friends in the rear apartment at 785 Stillwater Road, where he moved two weeks ago, police said.
Police Capt. Richard Conklin said Dixon, who obtained his pistol permit in the last six months, could have been under the mistaken impression that the weapon he was holding had a magazine disconnect safety, which makes the gun inoperable when the magazine is removed.
But Conklin said Dixon's pistol did not have that safety feature.
Stamford police Lt. Diedrich Hohn said Dixon was pronounced dead at the scene, and drugs or alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the death.
"There was nothing illegal. It was a tragic accident," Hohn said.
A woman at the home declined to comment on Dixon but acknowledged the incident did happen at the address.
When police and paramedics arrived at the home, two of his friends were performing CPR on Dixon but he could not be resuscitated, Hohn said.
Laura Dembofsky, a senior at University of Connecticut, said several of her current classmates from Stamford gathered Thursday night when they heard about Dixon's death.
"He was friends with everybody. There was not a single person he wouldn't give a chance to be nice to. Regardless of athletics, he was one of the nicest people I've ever met," she said. "Everyone knows he was always smiling and encouraging everybody."
UConn senior Katie Pape, a friend of Dixon's in high school, said Dixon would challenge his friends "to be a better person."
"He could do something so simple as break a smile and brighten your day," Pape said. "He could make you feel better about yourself."
Jones remembered his former team captain as one of the hardest-working players he has encountered during his career.
"Marcus had a lot of rough spots in his life and did not have it easy growing up," said Jones, now a sports agent for JL Sports in Branford. "When he came to us there were a lot of things that we needed to address that had nothing to do with football, but we used football as a way to deal with them. The turnaround that kid made is probably the greatest I have ever seen in my 20 years of coaching."
Jones said Dixon was blessed with a mature body when he was young and had a tremendous work ethic. The team was 5-5 in Dixon's senior year, during which he rushed for 977 yards and scored two touchdowns. He also had 35 tackles on defense.
Stamford High School offensive coordinator Riis Lane said Dixon was "invincible." He recalled that Dixon was in critical condition following a motorcycle accident around eighth grade. Lane said he feared Dixon would not survive the crash.
A year or two later Dixon was playing great football, Lane said.
"On the football field he would take hits and give hits like you would never expect and he would just spring up. He was amazing," Lane said.
Lane, who met Dixon in the eighth grade, said he noticed a big turnaround when he went to live with the McInerneys.
"There was a big difference after he was adopted. He worked on his anger. He was very polite to everybody. If two guys were fighting, instead of taking sides he would try to sit down and talk to them," Lane said.
Hocter recalled sitting with Dixon one day when he pulled out his lunch and showed him all of the food Rose McInerney had packed for him that day. Dixon had five sandwiches and said there was no way he would be able to eat it all, Hocter said.
"Marcus said they were a blessing from heaven. He would say to me `I don't know what I ever did to deserve these people,' " Hocter said.
Former Stamford High School basketball captain Michael Tiscia said Dixon was easy to like.
"He was the type of kid whose smile lit up the entire room," Tiscia said. "He was someone who left a lasting impact on my life. It is tough, it is tough losing someone that just so special."
Dixon was always a pillar of strength on the Stamford team, said Hocter, his former coach.
"He had that wow factor about him when you met him. He was very engaging. But he was a soft-spoken individual. He overcame his issues and became such a fine young man. I have him in mind when I talk to the kids and tell them that they can achieve what ever they want no matter where they come from," Hocter said. "He came from nothing and what he achieved in his life was remarkable."
Four years ago, Marcus reflected on how dramatically his life had changed. "Every day I always thought to myself how unlucky I was," Marcus said. "It used to get me so mad. It just didn't seem fair. But today, it's the exact opposite. I feel so lucky."
Staff writer Dave Ruden contributed to this story.
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