Oklahoma's Joe Mixon, one of the top running backs in the 2017 NFL Draft, won't have an opportunity to compete at this year's NFL Scouting Combine.
A league source told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport that Mixon won't be on the list of the event's invitees. USA TODAY first reported the news. Players will begin arriving in Indianapolis for the combine on Feb. 28.
Mixon struck a female OU student as a freshman in 2014 and was charged with acts resulting in gross injury, a misdemeanor. A plea agreement settled the case with Mixon serving one year of probation, counseling, and 100 hours of community service. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops suspended Mixon for the 2014 season. The victim, Amelia Molitor, suffered four broken facial bones.
Last year, the NFL instituted a policy that bars prospects from combine participation who have misdemeanor or felony convictions involving violence or use of a weapon, domestic violence, a sexual offense and/or sexual assault. Mixon wasn't convicted in the case, but the NFL ultimately can bar any prospect from participating in the combine after evaluating the underlying circumstances involving the player, a league source told Rapoport.
The incident occurred at a campus deli and was captured on security video, but the video wasn't made public for more than two years. After the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters sued for access to the video, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled for its release and Mixon's attorney's made the video public in December. Mixon apologized for striking Molitor in a written statement in November, then addressed the incident with reporters for the first time a week after the video had been released.
The NFL's decision to bar Mixon from the combine comes after Troy Vincent, the league's executive vice president of football operations, sent a memo to NFL teams reminding them of aspects of its combine participation policy. The memo, which was obtained by Rapoport, states "draft-eligible prospects will not be permitted to participate in any aspect of the combine if a background check reveals a conviction of a felony or misdemeanor involving violence or use of a weapon, domestic violence, sexual offense and/or sexual assault. The NFL also reserves the right to deny participation of any prospect dismissed by their university or the NCAA.
"Individual clubs are free to independently determine the draft-eligible prospects they wish to evaluate, including those who have demonstrated conduct that restricted their invitation to the Combine. These evaluations may take place at any location permitted under League rules."
Mixon announced his intention to enter the draft as an underclassman on Jan. 5. He rushed for 1,274 yards as a third-year sophomore last year, scoring 10 touchdowns.
Baylor WR Ishmael Zamora also will not be on the list of players invited to the combine, per Rapoport. Zamora was charged with a misdemeanor and received a citation in an animal abuse case after a video surfaced in August of Zamora beating a dog. Zamora was suspended for three games. After serving the suspension, Zamora caught 63 passes for 809 yards and eight touchdowns for Baylor last season.
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