Hixon wakes up

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Redskins Notebook

Hixon Returns, but Son Still in Coma in Florida

By Jason La Canfora

Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, September 30, 2004; Page D07

Wide receivers coach Stan Hixon returned to the Washington Redskins yesterday after missing the past two weeks to be with his son, Drew, who is in a coma after suffering a head injury in a college football game in Florida.

Hixon observed his son, Drew, making progress while in the hospital in Tampa, and has been granted as much time as necessary to stay with his son by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder.

Coach Joe Gibbs said there is a possibility Drew Hixon could be moved to a trauma center in Virginia next week to keep him close to his family. Drew Hixon was a summer intern for the Redskins in the personnel department and spent every day at the team's training complex. He endeared himself to people throughout the organization.

While in Tampa, Stan Hixon provided Redskins coaches and management with a daily update of his son's condition.

Hixon, who was not available to comment yesterday, dropped by Redskins Park after the Sept. 19 loss to the New York Giants, when he traveled back to Northern Virginia to bring his daughters back home. Gibbs urged him to return to Tampa, where Hixon remained until yesterday and was encouraged by Drew's recent development. It is uncertain at this point if Hixon will be with the team on a permanent basis.

"Hopefully, we'll see a steady progress," Gibbs said. "That's such a tragedy. I told him absolutely he needs to be with Drew as much as he can. [stan Hixon] came up today and hopefully he can get Drew over here [to Virginia] and he'll keep doing a lot better."

Drew Hixon, 22, a wide receiver for Tennessee Tech, was injured in a helmet-to-helmet collision in a game against South Florida in Tampa on Sept. 11.