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Oklahoma has suspended running back Joe Mixon for its Thursday night game against Iowa State for violating team rules, the team announced Tuesday.
Mixon’s lawyer, Blake Johnson, said the running back tore up a parking ticket he received, per Ryan Aber and Graham Lee Brewer of NewsOK:
He was frustrated, as most of us are when we get a ticket. He tore the ticket up in front of the parking attendant, and threw it on the ground.
…
We are very confident that Joe did nothing criminal.
He’s been suspended for this Thursday’s game, and he understands and accepts that.
“I regret that I did not respond appropriately to parking attendants and understand and accept the consequences,” Mixon said of his punishment.
The sophomore leads the team with 813 rushing yards on 6.8 yards per carry this season.
He also has shown plenty of ability as a receiver, ranking second on the team with 24 catches and 357 receiving yards to go with his four touchdowns. This comes after a freshman season in which he tallied 1,109 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns in limited playing time.
While the 6’1″, 226-pound runner has always been a game-changing player on the field, his off-field problems remain a concern. He was suspended for the entire 2014 season following an altercation before his freshman year.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller believes Mixon’s past will hurt his draft status:
I’m all-in on Joe Mixon’s talent…but Google his name before we talk about Day 1. https://t.co/Z45pPfqXHh
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) October 28, 2016
Even with vague details, this latest incident certainly won’t help his image among NFL front offices.
The Sooners are already without backup running back Samaje Perine, who was ruled out this week with a muscle injury in his leg, per Brooke Pryor of the Oklahoman. Freshman Abdul Adams becomes the next man up for Oklahoma after totaling 91 rushing yards on 13 carries last game against Kansas.
