A former Carlinville High School football standout has signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots.

Kyle Dixon, a record-setting receiver at Culver-Stockton, an NAIA program in Canton, Missouri, inked the deal with New England after being passed over in the NFL Draft April 23-25.

Dixon was seen as an outside shot at being selected in the draft. He reportedly had visited at least one team, including Indianapolis, and was the subject of Internet speculation from various writers on his potential.

At Culver-Stockton, Dixon named to the American  Football Coaches  Association – NAIA All-American team. He was also a Heart of America Athletic Conference first team pick for the second straight year.

The 6-4, 216-pound Dixon was fourth in the NAIA with 83 receptions and third with 1,282 receiving yards in 2025.

New England advanced to last February’s Super Bowl, losing to Seattle. 

It was the tenth Super Bowl appearance in the last 25 seasons for the Patriots, one of the NFL’s marquee teams over the last quarter-century. 

New England won six Super Bowl titles in that span.  The Patriots also played in the Super Bowl after the 1985 and 1996 seasons.

Though most undrafted free agents have an outside chance of sticking on NFL rosters, some future superstars began that way. Notable UDFAs include NFL Hall of Famers Kurt Warner, Warren Moon, Antonio Gates, Adam Vinatieri, and John Randle.

In 2025, eight NFL teams had at least three starters who had been UDFAs coming out of college.

The Patriots are known for their development of UDFAs. The franchise has had sixty starting players who were undrafted free agents from 2011-25, more than any other team in the NFL.

At Carlinville High School from 2015-18, Dixon finished in the top 20 in Illinois High School Association history in single-season receiving yards and touchdowns, career touchdowns, receptions, and receiving yards, and career interceptions on defense.

An all-state selection as a defensive back, Dixon was an all-South Central Conference pick as a receiver. He was also a two-time all-SCC pick in baseball.

Prior to Culver-Stockton, Dixon played baseball at SIU-Carbondale, SIU-Edwardsville, and Georgia Gwinnett College.

Dixon will try to become just the third Carlinville product to play in the NFL.

 The others were Leland “Tiny” Lewis, who appeared in 14 games over the 1930-31 seasons with Portsmouth (now the Detroit Lions) and a now-defunct Cleveland franchise, and Mike Seyfrit, who played in 13 games for now-defunct franchises in Toledo and Hammond in 1923-24.

(Tom Emery may be reached at ilcivilwar@yahoo.com or  217-710-8392).

Staff from Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ office will be at the Gillespie Public Library on Wednesday, May 13, to assist residents in reclaiming money through the I-Cash program. The state estimates that about 64,700 people and businesses in Macoupin County have unclaimed cash or property totaling $8.6 million, with statewide totals reaching $5 billion dollars.

A spokesperson noted that many people may not realize they’ve overlooked an investment account or a final paycheck, and that the thousands of names in the state’s database show it happens more often than people might think. The message emphasizes that this money belongs to Illinois residents and should be in their bank accounts rather than the state’s. The planned event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Gillespie Public Library, located at 201 W Chestnut Street, Gillespie, IL.

Attendees can expect on-site assistance with the I-Cash process, which helps residents search for unclaimed funds and pursue claims through official channels. The I-Cash program is described as a state-level initiative designed to reunite Illinois residents and businesses with unclaimed funds such as lost wages, refunds, or insurance benefits.

Individuals can search the state’s database for their name, name of business, or nonprofit online as well: https://icash.illinoistreasurer.gov/

The Macoupin County Historical Society will host a drive-through chicken fried chicken dinner starting at 4 p.m., Wednesday, May 13, at the MCHS grounds located at 920 W. Breckenridge, Carlinville.

Serving will continue until 7 p.m. or until food is sold out.

 Meals are $12 each and include a chicken fried chicken breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and a roll.

“We offered a chicken dinner last year and were sold out within a couple of hours,” said Dan Hauter, MCHS President. “My advice is to come as early as possible to make sure you can buy a meal.”

Serving will be drive-through only. No walk-up orders will be taken.

Persons who wish to dine on the grounds may park their vehicle after getting their order and dine in the pavilion adjacent to the Red Barn. Water and soda will be available for purchase or customers may bring their own non-alcoholic beverage.

Proceeds will benefit the Macoupin County Historical Society.