The Bengals are no strangers to taking on extraordinary football players with off-field baggage. The latest example came last Friday when the team used its second-round pick on former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon, a first-round talent who was caught on tape hitting a woman. And while several NFL teams met with him in the weeks leading up to the draft (Mixon was barred from the NFL combine), other teams had removed him from their draft boards altogether.
Shortly after the Bengals drafted Mixon, coach Marvin Lewis told reporters, "We've done such a lot of work regarding Joe Mixon, throughout the entire process this year and based on all the time, all the research, we felt that we can continue to move forward." Though Lewis said of the video showing Mixon hitting a woman, "I don't know who isn't disgusted at what they saw."
On Friday, Bengals owner Mike Brown, writing in the Cincinnati Enquirer, addressed the team's decision to draft Mixon.
In the NFL Draft last Friday, the Cincinnati Bengals selected a very talented football player who did a terrible thing his freshman year at college. The player -- Joe Mixon -- is a top level football player by everyone's account. Joe's regrettable deed was that he struck a young woman, another student, shortly after arriving on campus in Norman, Oklahoma, three years ago.
Joe and this young woman recently met in person, came to terms with the incident, and they agreed to resolve their differences so they could move forward with their lives. While the circumstances that led up to the incident are unclear -- what is clear is that it is unacceptable for a man to strike a woman.
Since the incident three years ago, Joe was suspended by the football team, pleaded guilty in court, and accepted the consequences of his actions. He later went on to become a good citizen in Norman, a popular teammate, a player respected by his coaches, and one of the most talented players in college football.
The Bengals take pride in our hometown and want to provide winning football on the field and successful players off the field. That is the reason we drafted Joe -- he is a rare football talent, and his conduct over the past three years leads us to believe he can help us win football games and also become a productive member of this community.
In making our decision, we took a risk. In this case, the risk has an upside as well as a downside. We believe Joe has put this behind him and that he can turn into the player and community member that creates a plus for Cincinnati. We are going to do everything in our power to make this happen. Our hope is that time will prove that this opportunity is deserved, and perhaps -- if given a chance -- Joe can write a chapter in Cincinnati sports history that both he and Cincinnati can be proud of.
Sincerely,
Mike Brown, President
Mixon said he was "thankful" and "very honored" to be drafted by the Bengals, but also knows that his past will not be soon forgotten.
"It changed me a lot as a person, the way you think, the way you carry yourself, go about things," he said last week. "I'm going to continue to keep doing the right thing around the community, on and off the field. And I'm going to prove to them why they kept me. Leaving from Oklahoma, I still have their name, at the end of the day. I'm going to do whatever I can to make them proud and make them happy. I'm looking forward to doing that with the Cincinnati Bengals as well."
And while Mixon and the Bengals may be ready for a fresh start, others aren't quite ready to forget what happened. Hours after Mixon was drafted, a Cincinnati television station called for a boycott of the team.
"Enough is enough, Bengals. We can excuse another season without winning a playoff game. We can't excuse drafting a player like Joe Mixon," the station wrote in an editorial. "Instead of buying a Bengals ticket this year, take the $50 or more you would have spent on that ticket and donate the money to a nonprofit that works to prevent violence against women."
