Anthony Dixon Anthony Rishard Dixon ( born September 24 , 1987 ) is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League ( NFL ) . The 49ers selected him in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft . He played college football for Mississippi State University . High school career . As a senior at Terry High School in 2005 , he racked up 304 carries for 2 , 683 yards ( 8 . 8 average ) and 31 touchdowns in leading Terry to an 11 - 2 mark . He was named the Jackson metro - area player of the year by the " Clarion - Ledger " . He was also a first - team All - State honoree by the paper , and was named to its ( preseason ) " Dandy Dozen " team ( of the state ' s 12 best high school players ) and it ' s ( postseason ) " 10 Most Wanted " list ( of the state ' s top 10 college football prospects ) . Considered a four - star recruit by " Rivals . com " , Dixon was listed as the No . 22 running back prospect in the nation in 2006 . Scout . com ranked Dixon a four star prospect and the 30th best running back in the country . He chose Mississippi State over University of Alabama , Louisiana State University , and Southern Miss . College career . In his true freshman season , Dixon played in all 12 games , starting five times , and set MSU true freshman records for rushing attempts , yards gained rushing , and touchdowns rushing . His nine touchdowns on the ground were the most by a Bulldog since Dicenzo Miller ' s ten TDs in 2000 . As a sophomore , Dixon played all 13 games and started twelve . He became just the seventh halfback ( ninth occurrence ) in school history and the first Bulldog sophomore ever to surpass 1 , 000 yards rushing in a single season and his attempts set a Mississippi State single season record . He scored MSU ' s game winning touchdown in the 2007 Liberty Bowl game . During his junior season Dixon started all 12 games he played in , and rushed for 869 yards , compiling a career - best 4 . 4 yards per carry . With 1 , 391 rushing yards in his senior season , Dixon not only set the Mississippi State single - season rushing record ( surpassing J . J . Johnson ' s 1998 record of 1 , 383 yards ) , he also became the seventh player in Southeastern Conference history to lead his team in rushing four times . He joined Eddie Price ( Tulane , 1946 – 1949 ) , Sonny Collins ( Kentucky , 1972 – 1975 ) , Dalton Hilliard ( LSU , 1982 – 1985 ) , Carl Woods ( Vanderbilt , 1983 – 1986 ) , Errict Rhett ( Florida , 1990 – 1993 ) , and Kevin Faulk ( LSU , 1995 – 1998 ) on that list . Dixon accumulated 3 , 994 career rushing yards during his collegiate career . Professional career . 2010 NFL Draft . Dixon was considered one of the best " power backs " available in the 2010 NFL Draft , alongside Toby Gerhart and Charles Scott . Projected as a third - to fourth - round pick , Dixon was thought to possibly be the Bulldogs ' highest draftee since Jerious Norwood was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round ( 79th overall ) of the 2006 NFL Draft . However , he was selected as the 173rd overall pick in the 6th Round by the San Francisco 49ers . San Francisco 49ers . 2010 season . With the announcement of the sudden retirement of second year player Glen Coffee on August 13 , former head coach Mike Singletary stated that Dixon and veteran Michael Robinson would compete for the number 2 running back spot behind Pro Bowler Frank Gore . In the preseason , Dixon posted 74 rushes for 300 yards , averaging 75 yards per game and 4 touchdowns , leading the entire NFL in each of those categories . On September 20 , 2010 , Dixon rushed for his first career NFL touchdown against the New Orleans Saints on " Monday Night Football " . Despite playing well in the preseason , Dixon had only ten rushing attempts until week 12 . After Gore suffered a fractured hip during a " Monday Night Football " game against the Arizona Cardinals on November 29 , Dixon had 14 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown as a backup to Brian Westbrook , who took over for Gore .