Built in Philly: How Eric Dixon’s Journey Shaped the Player and the Man

NBA prospect Eric Dixon has long exemplified the toughness, resilience, and loyalty that define his hometown of Philadelphia. After spending his entire college career at Villanova and steadily developing into one of the top players in college basketball, he is now gearing up for the next chapter as a professional. In this conversation with Calais Goord, Dixon discusses his Philly roots, Villanova journey, personal growth, off-court interests, and overall mindset as he approaches the 2025 NBA Draft.

Calais Goord: You’re from Philadelphia, so I'd like to start with your Philly roots. I'm intrigued about this because I’ve never been. I've heard the cheesesteak scene is no joke. So I must ask, what’s your favorite place, and how do you order yours?

Eric Dixon: Cheesesteaks haven't been on my diet plan too much recently. But I think Dalessandro’s is one of the best spots in the area. The way they make the steak and blend the cheese makes it really good. But I'm a pretty simple guy. I typically order a regular cheesesteak with sweet peppers, and it’s really good. I don't do too much. But the sweet peppers are an absolute must. Campus Corner by Villanova also makes a pretty good cheesesteak. So, those are my spots.

You’re a Philly guy. So, how was growing up in a city known for its toughness, passion, and basketball? How did that shape you?

I'm from just outside the city, in Abington, Pennsylvania. When I was about 9 or 10 years old, I started to want to play basketball. So my dad would take me into the city, probably three or four times a week, and that's where I developed the tough side of my game, the tough side of my personality, and started to learn about who I was. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about everything I was learning, but the people I met in Philly, their mindset, and the mentality they brought to the game rubbed off on me. And I carry those things with me wherever I go. I understand that I represent Philly regardless of where I'm at. And I make a point to be tough and resilient.

Speaking of resilience and supporting your area. Are you a Sixers fan? And what's it been like for you to watch Joel Embiid and the team over the years?

I'm from the city, so I grew up a Sixers fan. But I wouldn't say I'm a huge follower. Embiid is a super-talented player. His MVP season was great for the city, but watching them go through “The Process” was different as a Philly sports fan. But I still supported them during that time.

Would you ever want to play for your hometown team in the NBA?

It doesn't really matter. It'd be an honor to play for any team in the NBA. But I am a Philly guy, and I have a lot of Philly ties. I could bring things to the team to help them. It would be a unique opportunity, though. I love being in Philly. I've lived there my whole life, so if they gave me a shot, definitely.

Philly is known for its underdog mentality. Does that mindset affect how you approach the game?

Absolutely. It’s been a part of my career since high school. I don't necessarily want to say I was underrated, but maybe overlooked. People might have said, “Oh, he's a good player, but I don’t know if he's going to be that great long term.” It feels like that might’ve been the narrative around me. And even when I went to college, I redshirted my first year, so I didn’t play, and I felt like everybody wrote me off. But I’ve been through and seen a lot, and it's influenced who I am. I keep coming back and I keep fighting. I’m constantly trying to prove people who don't believe in me wrong, and for the people who do believe in me, prove them right.

You redshirted your freshman year, which meant sitting out while others were competing. What did that season teach you about patience and long-term growth?

The year I redshirted was the most important year of my life from a personal development standpoint. I began to understand who I was as a person even more. Up until that point, I was a star in high school. Basketball has always been the primary focus of my life. That year, it felt like it was taken away from me. I wasn’t able to play 5-on-5. I wasn’t able to be in front of the crowd. I had to learn to love the game in different ways, and honestly, find other ways to love myself. I began viewing myself as a son, a brother, and a friend, not just a basketball player. But I also began to understand better that if I worked hard and put everything into it, what was supposed to happen would happen in the end.

You made significant strides throughout your college career. What do you think played the most essential role in your development, physically, mentally, or otherwise?

The people around me. I’ve been very fortunate to have people around me who support and care about me. For example, when I wasn’t playing and the team wasn’t using me, I’d have a trainer work with me on different things to try and get me on the floor. My trainers back home, Seth Brunner, Chuck Ellis, and some other guys, would always push me in workouts to expand my skill set and work on my game. They’d work with me on moves off the dribble, on my footwork, creative finishing, creative passing, and keep adding to my overall skill set. The idea was that whenever the opportunity came, I would be ready for it.

Would it be safe to say that your trainers and your coaches have been instrumental in helping you get to where you are today?

I've had a lot of great coaches for a long time. Even my youth coach, my first travel coach, he coached me from third grade to eighth grade, and to spend that time with him, he taught me the fundamentals of the game, the importance of teamwork, the importance of being a good person, and the importance of being dependable for your teammates. I learned that from a young age. Throughout high school, I had the same AAU coach, the same high school coach, and the same two trainers throughout that entire time. And that consistency helped. They got to know me and helped me a lot. And during that time, I continued to learn that being a good person matters.

And then in college, a lot of the same. I was in college for six years and had two different coaches, Jay Wright and Kyle Neptune. However, considering they were both from the same Villanova coaching family, there was a lot of consistency. Also, I continued using the same trainer I had in high school. I began using another trainer, too, and I’ve worked with him since my sophomore year of college. So again, throughout my life, the people around me have cared about me as a person, not just as a player. It’s helped me value being a good, consistent, and dependable person. It’s shaped my values as a player, person, and now, professional. I want to be known as somebody who can be dependable, loyal, and accountable.

Throughout college, you’ve made significant leaps in your physical development. What was the biggest shift in how you approach your training and preparation?

Physical development was the key part of my decision-making process when picking what school I would attend. I wanted to go somewhere that could help me develop my weaknesses. I needed to be disciplined on and off the court, be on time for things, work hard, and that’s what Villanova basketball is all about. So when I got to college, we had John Shackleton, or “Coach Shack”, who taught me how to take care of my body. He taught me how to work out, when to work out, how to eat, and how to be mindful about what I'm putting in my body and how sleep matters. My coaches helped me learn about my body and how to take care of it. That knowledge helped me shape my body.

Was there a specific moment when things started clicking and you found your groove?

When I got to college, I weighed around 285 or 290. So, during my redshirt year, I worked out four times a day and only ate once or twice, which wasn’t very healthy. But I was losing weight, and hitting the numbers I was supposed to. I was getting ahead of schedule because of how hard I was working, but I got to a point where it was too much. And as I said before, I was learning a lot about myself. I had gotten to a point where I didn't feel healthy, and I didn't feel like myself. So from there, I built myself up and learned how to eat better and find a better physical and mental balance. I’d often ask myself, “What's the most beneficial thing for my body?” So, it wasn’t one specific moment, but things began to click around January of my freshman redshirt year. A few tough events were close together, like within a week, where I looked in the mirror and asked myself, “Is this the route I want to take? Is this sustainable?” And I knew it wasn’t, and it was time to make a change. And ever since then, I’ve taken things seriously, which has been pivotal for my career.

Do you compare yourself with others, and how has social media impacted you?

Yeah, comparison is a part of it. But I like the social media aspect of it; sometimes people love you, sometimes people don't love you. So, for me, especially this year, I had to embrace it. I got off to a hot start this past season. I was averaging 25 at the beginning. Then I had a choice to make. Do I go into every game thinking I will get my 25, or do I continue averaging 25 a night for the right reasons? It's a balance of confidence and consciousness of it all. My entire life, I’ve felt like I've been overlooked and somewhat misunderstood as a player. I've heard things like he's too big or small, he's not fast enough. I’ve heard many things, so at this point, I don't let it affect me. But as far as social media, I try to embrace it. Any press is good press, right?

Speaking of outside voices and trying to define your path and values, how do you block that out and stay grounded?

Again, it's one of those things, just a mixture of embracing the positive and blocking out the negative. I have my circle of people that matter the most to me; they are the ones I care about, especially the guys I battle with every day. As far as everyone else, it’s just noise to me.

I want to discuss your loyalty to Villanova. It’s been a big part of your career, as you stayed there for your entire college career, which isn’t typical these days. Specifically, you tested the NBA draft waters in 2024 but chose to return to Villanova. Can you walk me through what led to that decision?

It's a new era with the transfer portal. Many of these players post photos of themselves in jerseys on social media during their recruiting visits. But I couldn't see myself in another jersey, unless it were an NBA jersey. And I knew when I became a pro that it likely wouldn’t be my decision about what jersey I’m wearing. So while I could still make that decision for myself, I wanted to be close to my friends and family, and with the teammates and staff I viewed as family. It was important to me. They invested a lot of time in me. We've been through a lot together.

There was a lot of doubt about the program and the staff, too. I wanted to return to make something good happen at a school I care about. But I went through the NBA draft process and got a lot of feedback. Questions were raised about my shooting consistency. Could I play on the perimeter for a whole season? Could I do this or that? I knew that I could. I felt comfortable in my abilities. But it felt like nobody else knew except me and my coaching staff. I played on the perimeter all the time in practice. I handled the ball in practice, 94 feet. And I guard 75 feet in practice as well. So my team knew it, and I knew it, but nobody else did. So even if I had entered the portal, I thought I’d be recruited as a center. I thought schools would want me to play the five and hold down the middle. I didn’t think that would benefit me.

What does it mean to you to have worn the Villanova jersey your entire college career?

When I think of the Villanova jersey, I think of everyone who wore it with me. It wasn’t just me out there every night. I think about guys like Collin Gillespie, Justin Moore, and Jermaine Samuels. Those guys helped me push through the toughest days. I think about the first few nights on campus. I remember getting there and meeting my teammates. I had all these dreams and ideas of what I would do, what I would become, and how to help the program. For me to become a captain and a leader by the end of my time there and try to be the guy carrying the torch that I've seen so many other great ones carry was special and something that I don't take for granted.

Your first coach at Villanova was the legendary Jay Wright. Has he continued to make an impact with you even after he decided to step away from coaching?

He’s been a guiding voice and a mentor for me, even throughout this past season. He always checks on me. Maybe every other game, he’d text me to let me know what he's thinking, what he’s seeing on the court, and how he feels about my game, whether good or bad. And it's not always good. But he's one of those voices that matters to me. He’s helped me so much personally in terms of character development. Having somebody like him in my corner is simply a great thing.

I mentioned that when I picked Villanova, I wanted to learn about discipline, how to treat people, and how to be a good person and man. Those were always his big things. So many people think of Jay Wright with basketball-related stuff. But it's more about the kind of people he molds as a leader. If you look at many of his former players, they're tough guys, but if you get to know them, they’re respectful, kind, helpful. Many of them helped me by sharing thoughts and knowledge when they came back to campus.

Let’s talk about some things off the court. From my understanding, you have some unique interests, such as history, and specifically, art history. Where did those interests stem from?

I've always been interested in history. Social studies was always my favorite subject. When I used to travel when I played AAU, my family was road trippers. Say we had a tournament in Minnesota, we would drive from Philly, a 20-hour drive. We did trips like that nonstop. We’d have two or three drivers, usually my mom, dad, and uncle. And we’d just drive. Get up at like seven o'clock in the morning, and we'd get there in one shot. And so, I spent a lot of time in the car, a lot of time in the backseat. So, we’d pick a topic for those trips. For example, we might’ve picked European Renaissance or Civil War history, and we'd go through it all on those drives. I’d sleep for some of the drive, and we’d play cards sometimes, too. But when the road trip card games died down, we’d talk about that stuff, we’d talk about history. And it always caught me off guard that my dad always had the answers to every question I’d ask. I don't know how he always had all the answers, but he did. It was astonishing. So I guess you could say my interest in history stems from my upbringing. It's just always been a part of my life.

Has history and art helped you stay grounded or process things that basketball alone can't?

I don't know if that's how I would look at it. But it's a calming presence in my mind to read about all of it. And like I said, learning about the mindsets of successful people. Even in the 1600s, good and bad people were usually exposed at some point. And I'm a believer that history repeats itself. So that's why I like to read about it. I like to learn about how various historical figures came to power. And if they were overthrown or weren’t beloved, you typically find out how, why, and their approach to things.

I want to ask you about your identity and your legacy. Your professional career is beginning, but have you considered legacy and impact?

Legacy and impact are super important to me. I'm always thinking about how I can impact the people I meet. How do they feel about me when they meet me? And that stems from where I come from. Like I said, I'm from Abington, Pennsylvania. It's one of those places where basketball is important. I remember watching high school games growing up and seeing the players afterward. It was so cool for me to get a high five or a handshake from them. Then, once I got a little older and people in the community started to know and say my name, it felt bizarre to me. Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the park. I’d play ball at the park, on the pavement, and outside, with the sun beaming down. And then, eventually, once more people started to know who I was, I’d often be walking to the park with my friends, and younger kids would stop me and ask for a picture with me or talk with me. I always wanted those interactions to be real, authentic, and positive for them. During that time, I learned about the impact I could have on people through the game. And from then on, trying to be a good person has always been important. And I’d like to make a positive impact on people wherever I go.

If someone were to watch you play for the first time and walk away with one lasting impression, what do you hope that impression would be?

I’d hope they’d see my toughness and see me as a player who gives everything he has out there. That's what I aim to be whenever I step on the floor, tough. If you were to walk away seeing my ability to score and all the other things I can do, like shoot the ball, that would be great, too. But the main thing I’d like people to see is my toughness.

Last question for you: I understand you’ve been approaching interviews with teams during the pre-draft process a little differently than most. For example, you even bring your resume with you. What drove that approach, and how do you hope that sets you apart from others?

Like I’ve said, I’ve been fortunate to be around great people. And one of those people is my agent. I have a really good agent. His name is Darrell Comer. It was his idea for me to bring my resume. He told me, “You've been in school for a long time, and at the same school the entire time, and you made an impact. So why not write down your experience and format it into a resume?” So, that’s what we did. I have accomplished a lot in basketball, but I also earned a degree in history. I have a master's certificate in education, and I’ve done a lot of volunteer work. So when I sit down with a team considering drafting me, I want them to know they’d bring someone who's more than just a basketball player to their organization.