With the 2017 NFL Draft now officially in the past,
hundreds of former collegiate football players realized their dream of playing
for an NFL team. My beloved Cincinnati Bengals selected numerous players from
various colleges from across the country. There is one player, however, that
generated more buzz than all of their draft picks combined. That player is
former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon.
For those of you who are unaware, Mixon was caught on
video punching a woman in the face in the midst of an altercation. He hit her
with such force that she was knocked off her feet and suffered broken bones in
her face. The incident occurred in 2014, and Mixon was suspended for one season
at Oklahoma. Mixon also had to serve 100 hours of community service and undergo
counseling. The woman filed a suit against Mixon in 2016 that ended in a
settlement. Mixon has since apologized to the woman, and both parties have
expressed their desire to move on from the incident.
Almost every team in the league said they would not select
Mixon. I was hoping the Bengals would follow suit as I found what he did in
2014 absolutely disgusting. Despite the immense baggage that Mixon would bring,
the Bengals still decided to draft him in the second round. When NFL hall of
famer and Bengals legend Anthony Munoz announced the pick, the entire NFL draft
crowd erupted in deafening boos. A Bengals fan was shown on camera giving a
thumb down to the decision. Despite the obvious backlash, the Bengals decided
to welcome Mixon into the fold.
Who Dey Nation can do nothing about it. Mixon is in the
Queen City and will help make up the offensive backfield alongside Giovani
Bernard and Jeremy Hill. Despite Mixon’s presence, I am still going to root for
the Bengals no matter what. I have been and will always be a diehard fan of the
team. Mixon being on the roster does not change that. Media outlets have
already criticized the Bengals for drafting the former Oklahoma Sooner. Let
them. They need to realize that it was not Mike Brown or Marvin Lewis or
anybody else on the team that punched that woman in 2014. It was one player. It
was Joe Mixon. The Bengals are merely offering him a chance to play football.
What Mixon does with it is up to him. It is his responsibility to change how
people perceive him. The Bengals gave him the ball. Let’s see if he runs with
it.
