INDIANAPOLIS -- Wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham didn't directly address the alleged incident that prompted his dismissal from Missouri -- when he was accused of pushing a female down several stairs -- at the NFL Scouting Combine.
But when asked directly about it, the 6-foot-5, 237-pound prospect indicated his sit-out season at Oklahoma in 2014, under NCAA transfer rules, expediated his maturity.
"About that, I proved that I'm a better person by how mature I've grown. These last few months have been real tough for me. Missing a whole season, missing playing with my teammates, and just missing football period," Green-Beckham said. "Just looking from the outside in, and seeing things I've never seen before, I just want to take advantage of that. And make sure I will be there for all my teammates and make sure I'm still going to be the best guy I can be off the field."
While never charged in the burglary investigation from which the allegation stemmed, Green-Beckham was dismissed from the Missouri football team soon after. He is considered one of the draft's elite talents, but his draft stock could suffer due to concerns about his character. Green-Beckham conceded that had he stayed at Oklahoma for another year, he could have done more to improve his image off the field and, in turn, improve his standing with NFL clubs.
"One more year could have prepared me and boosted my draft stock a lot higher, but I just felt like, personal-wise, this was the best opportunity," Green-Beckham said.
While not playing at Oklahoma in 2015 might expose Green-Beckham to a higher level of personal scrutiny this spring, not playing at OU in 2014 wasn't ideal for his draft stock, either. Entering the combine, Bucky Brooks is the only one of four NFL Media analysts to project Green-Beckham as a first-round pick.
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