Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon declares for NFL draft
Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon will end his controversial time at the school and enter the NFL draft, he announced.
Mixon, notorious for a 2014 incident in which he was caught on camera punching a woman in the face, served a full season suspension that year as punishment, redshirting as a freshman. In two seasons that ensued, he ran for 2,027 rushing yards on 300 carries and added 894 receiving yards with 65 receptions.
In his statement, Mixon expressed gratitude to Oklahoma’s coaching staff for the “second chance” they gave him. He also wrote that he will “use my own experience as a platform to teach other young men never — and I repeat never — to make the mistakes that I made.”
On the field, Mixon was impressive in Oklahoma's Sugar Bowl win against Auburn, scoring twice and compiling 180 total yards.
It is unclear how Mixon’s off-field troubles will impact his draft stock. The video of him punching Amelia Molitor was released in late 2016, leading to his first public apology since the incident, also stating that racial slurs from others in the restaurant preceded his actions. Head coach Bob Stoops recently said that Mixon would have been kicked off the team had it taken place in 2016 and not 2014.
Oklahoma’s other main tailback, Samaje Perine, declared for the draft earlier this week.
