Two and a half years after assaulting a woman, Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon has issued a public apology in front of a microphone. In a press conference setting Friday afternoon, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops gave Mixon a chance to address the media for the first time regarding his assault of a female student from 2014 a week after the video of the incident was released.
“I’m here basically to apologize to [Amelia Molitor] (the woman struck in the face by Mixon). I apologize to Coach Stoops.I apologize to President [David Boren], the AD, my teammates and most of all my family. I let a lot of people down.” Mixon spent many moments apologizing to his mother throughout the press conference.
Mixon said on multiple occasions during his press conference it is never OK to hit a woman and committed to taking opportunities to speak to kids about violence. Throughout the press conference, Mixon was presented with questions about his being on the team and his future. Mixon remained committed to playing for the Sooners as they prepare to take on Auburn in the Sugar Bowl and suggested he was not thinking about a timeline for any possible decision on the NFL. Mixon was also asked about an incident earlier this season over a parking ticket.
Mixon took responsibility for the incident, saying “It really doesn’t matter what she did (referencing Mixon being contacted first in the incident).”
“I take full responsibility for what I did, Mixon said. “It’s never OK to hit a woman. Never.”
The issue at Oklahoma is disturbing as far as Mixon is concerned, but it is beyond time for leaders at Oklahoma to face the pressure of the media over how Mixon was handled as well. Stoops has done so, saying the punishment to Mixon was not enough at the time, with the hindsight of seeing the video. It is not unprecedented for players connected to similar assault cases to be booted from the program, yet Oklahoma kept him a part of the program and shielded him from media scrutiny along the way until today.
Mixon previously issued a written statement of apology.