Sooners show off

Fifteen former Sooners worked out in front of scouts representing every NFL team, but there was no doubt that the event largely revolved around Mixon.

If Oklahoma’s Pro Day was a circus, then former running back Joe Mixon was its ringmaster.

Fifteen former Sooners worked out in front of scouts representing every NFL team, but there was no doubt that the event largely revolved around Mixon.

With Mixon’s off-thefield issues keeping him from receiving an NFL Combine invitation, Wednesday was Mixon’s first opportunity to prove himself to potential future employers.

“I can breathe now,” Mixon said afterwards. “It was a fun moment out here with my teammates. I had fun. They did the same thing. We basically laid it all out on the line one more time and now it’s just a waiting game to see what’s going on.”

From the time he stepped foot on the indoor turf at Everest Training Center to warm up, jogging and jumping on the sideline with giant wireless headphones blocking out the noise, through his exit interview with the media, cameras and scouts followed Mixon’s every move.

Every bit of success, slip and stutter was documented as everyone meticulously analyzed the running back’s performance.

The numbers affirmed what teams have known for a long time: Mixon has first-round abilities.

His first 40-yard attempt of 4.43 was good enough that Mixon felt like he didn’t need to run it again. Only three running backs — North Carolina’s T.J. Logan (4.37), Utah’s Joe Williams (4.41) and N.C. A&T’s Tarik Cohen (4.42) — were faster than Mixon in their NFL Combine runs.

He also recorded a 9-10 broad jump, 35-inch vertical and did 21 reps on the bench press.

Mixon didn’t necessarily flourish everywhere, though. He looked jittery through the 3-cone drill, slipping on his first attempt. He did much better on his second attempt, completing the drill in seven seconds. With a 4.25 second 20-yard shuttle, Mixon nearly recorded the fastest mark on that drill, but safety Ahmad Thomas hit 4.20.

“I had my goals in mind in what I wanted to do,” Mixon said. “At the end of the day, from the combine, all the running backs showed what they could do ... And whatever I did on film, football, it doesn’t lie. There’s a lot great running backs in this class, and at the end of the day, I feel like i’m the best one.”

Mixon thrived in the spotlight, greeting the cameras gathered for that post-workout interview loudly and warmly.

“How y’all doing,” he said, repeating himself a couple times, getting louder with each question.

Even though Mixon has the talent and swagger of a first-round pick, the off-the-field issues stemming from the 2014 punch and 2016 parking ticket still give some NFL teams pause before putting him on their draft boards.

“I was off a lot of team’s boards, and a lot are interested now,” he said. “I can only wish, hope and pray for the best outcome of the situation.”

NFL Network reported that four teams — Lions, Saints, Bengals, and Browns — came in Tuesday night to get a jump on talking with Mixon, and after Pro Day, Mixon walked to OU football’s temporary headquarters in the parking lot across from Everest Training Center with Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman was also on hand.

So what does he tell the teams who ask questions about the punch?

“I own up to what I did that day,” he said. “I know it wasn’t right. It’s never right.”

Alisa Smith, Mixon’s mom, was also among those gathered to watch Mixon. She understands the NFL’s interest in her son, but she’s ready for the story to shift from Mixon’s punch to his playing ability.

“As far as me, the mom, my feelings about it, it’s like it’s over it’s done,” she said after Mixon’s workout, wearing a customized 25 jersey labeled with ‘MIXON’S MOM’ on the back.

“Let’s move on. This is something that happened, unfortunately. However, It’s an isolated situation. I’m quite sure he’s not going to go around hitting on anybody else. This is a lesson learned. He’s grown from it.

“I’m not condoning anything, it’s just frustrating to just keep hearing it over and over. It’s like OK, get over it now. Find another story to talk about.”

Mixon’s pro day numbers will likely be a new story for everyone to talk about for a couple days, but the conversation will always shift back to the 2014 incident at Pickleman’s and the parking ticket that resulted in a one-game suspension last season.

Smith knows Mixon does, too.

For now, all he can do is answer the questions asked by teams and wait until April 27.

“Basically just you live and you learn,” he said. “You go through a lot of things in life and whatever mistake you do, just like I did, you live and you learn. You can’t take anything back. But at the end of the day, you can only learn from what you did, and take it and basically teach youth, teach older people, teach whoever you can.”

that.