Mixon apologizes for punching woman
RB gets emotional about 2014 assault
NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon made a tearful public apology Friday, more than two years after punching a woman and breaking bones in her face.
As Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops looked on, Mixon spoke at a news conference Friday afternoon, more than two years after he assaulted Amelia Molitor and broke her jaw and cheekbone. Mixon said he wanted to address the issue earlier, but his legal team advised him not to.
“I’m here to apologize to Miss Molitor,” he said. “I apologize to Coach Stoops, I apologize to President (David) Boren, the AD (athletic director Joe Castiglione), my teammates. And most of all, my family. I let a lot of people down.”
Mixon was suspended for a year after the incident. Though Molitor shoved and slapped him first, Mixon said hitting a woman is unacceptable, even if provoked.
“Honestly, it really don’t matter what she did that night,” he said during the 26-minute session. “It’s all on me the reason why I’m in this position right now. I take full responsibility of what happened that night. It’s never OK to hit a woman. Never. I will preach that to anybody. It’s never OK. Hopefully, people around the world will learn from my mistake, and I’m willing to teach.”
The All-Big 12 performer said if it happened now, he would respond differently.
“If I could go back, I would do whatever I could to change the outcome of that situation,” he said. “I definitely would have walked or ran away and went about the situation differently. I wouldn’t have been in that situation.”
Mixon said he was disappointed he let down his team, the university and his family. He struggled to speak when he began talking about the impact on his mother, a single parent who watched the video with him along with Norman Police a few days after the incident.
“My mother, she worked hard, and I disappointed her,” he said. “She’s my queen, and I apologize to you, mom.”
Mixon’s legal advisers released video of the punch last week, and Mixon said he wishes it had come out sooner. Since the video came out, there has been a backlash against Mixon, Stoops and the university. Mixon said he hasn’t paid attention to his fellow students much on campus, but his teammates have been supportive.
“I can’t do nothing but thank my teammates for lifting up my spirits,” he said. “Just wanting me to come out and go hard for them every day, and I feel like honestly that’s how I give back to them. I can only lead by example on and off the field by words, by my actions. Honestly, I’m willing to do anything for my teammates.”
HAWAII BOWL: In his last college football game, Nick Rolovich threw eight touchdown passes and led Hawaii to an upset of then-No. 9 BYU 72-45.
That was in 2001, when the Rainbow Warriors finished with a 9-4 record, but had nowhere to go for the postseason.
The next year the Hawaii Bowl was born.
Fast-forward 15 years and Rolovich finds himself leading Hawaii into its first bowl game in six seasons when it takes on Middle Tennessee today in the very game he had a hand in creating.
“It is a little bit special for myself and the group of seniors we had in 2001,” said Rolovich, the Rainbow Warriors’ first-year coach. “We ended up playing some pretty good football at the end (of the season) and didn’t have a place to go for a bowl game, so I can appreciate the Hawaii Bowl being here. I do feel a little connected to it, but I’d like to play well in it. That’s more important.”
While the Rainbow Warriors (6-7) will be getting their first taste of the postseason since 2010, the Blue Raiders (8-4) will be playing in their second straight bowl game and sixth since 2006, all of them coming under Rick Stockstill.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC: Florida Atlantic is hiring Baylor offensive coordinator Kendal Briles to the same position, ESPN reports.
Briles will join new FAU coach Lane Kiffin after coaching Baylor against Boise State on Tuesday in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl.
OREGON: New Oregon coach Willie Taggart has added Jimmie Dougherty from Michigan as wide receivers coach.
Dougherty spent the past year as an offensive analyst for the Wolverines under coach Jim Harbaugh, a close friend of Taggart’s. Before that Dougherty was an assistant at San Jose State for three seasons, as an assistant head coach, receivers coach and passing game coordinator.