http://m.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/ousportsextra/everything-joe-mixon-said-at-friday-s-press-conference/article_e3e8ea73-1016-5e6d-a166-f2b5843420a2.html

Updated: Friday December 23, 2016 12:01 pm
Opening statement:

"I’m here for a situation that occurred about 2 1/2 years ago. Basically, I’m just here to basically apologize to Ms Molitor. Like I said, I’m here to apologize to Ms. Molitor, I’m here to apologize to Coach Stoops, I apologize to President Boren, the AD, my teammates, most of all, my family. I let a lot of people down. I apologize to my mother.

"My mother, growing up … Growing up, my mother, she used to work hard. Single parent. Tow brothers, three sisters, 16 nieces and nephews. They all look up to me. Like I said, it’s never, never, never OK. Never, never OK to retaliate and hit a woman the way I did. And like I said, I’m here to apologize to everybody who was affected by. My mother, like I said, she worked hard, and I disappointed her, and you know, she’s my queen, and I apologize to you, mom. You mean everything to me. Family … But at this point, I’m willing to take anybody’s questions, for whoever has a question, I’m here to answer it right now."

On his decision not to transfer from OU:

"Honestly, Coach Stoops, our academic program, our coaches, our players, President Boren, they all forgave me, what I did. Some things came with it. I had some things I had to do, fulfill a couple requirements to get back, to have a second chance to get on the team. I had 100 hours of community service, I had counseling, still to this day seek it for my own benefit. Whatever I’m trying to do, they gave me an opportunity and a second chance. I’m willing to do anything I could to make myself better, as a person and player on the field."

On if he wanted to apologize earlier:

"I had a couple other, legal team, to say best to keep quiet. … It’s always best. I didn’t want to wait too long, but at the same time, I was advised to keep my mouth closed, and now I’m here to this day, still trying to apologize."

On talks with his mother:

"Honestly, I feel like that’s kind of personal for my mother’s sake. But I’m here to talk about that night. Like I said, Ms. Molitor, I apologize. If I have any chance, I ask for your forgiveness. And that’s the next question."

On the idea Molitor should apologize to him:

Click Here!
"Like I said, I’m here to do what’s best for me. I felt like I had to get that off of my chest for the last 2.5 years, and that’s what I’m doing now."

On if Mixon wished the video would have come out sooner:

"Yes, I definitely wish it would have came out sooner, for the best of everybody, but at the same time, I can’t do nothing but thank Coach Stoops for the second chance he gave me. Can’t do nothing but thank President Boren and my teammates for sticking by me, doing whatever they could."

On the difficulties of his suspension:

"It was very difficult. It was tough. Honestly, it haunted me. Still haunts me to this day. I dream about it. If I could go back, I’d do whatever I could to change the outcome of that situation. Definitely would have walked or ran away and went about the situation differently. I wouldn’t have been in that situation. And now I wouldn’t be in that situation, and that’s pretty much about it."

On what he wants fans to know about how he has changed:

"At the time, like you guys know, I was 17, 18 years old. I was young. Right now, I’m 20 years old. I’ve grown up a lot over these past 2 ½, three years that I’ve been at OU. Like I said, I can’t do nothing but thank Coach Stoops for giving me a second chance and having me prove to everyone that I deserve it."

On how teammates helped him:

"Man, my teammates, my teammates, they know how much they mean to me. All the leaders, people that’s not leaders, they mean so much to me. They did everything they could, everything I ever asked for. They basically guided me, led me in the right direction, and did whatever I could, basically, to lead the way I do, on and off the field, and I try to do whatever I can just to be a leader. And that’s what our coaches teach, on and off the field, be a leader. That’s what I’m willing to do. I’ve been doing it for the past two years ever since the incident. I’m still looking to do it even more."

On what he thought when he first saw the video:

"Like I said, we’re here to talk about that night, and I apologize to Ms. Molitor again, and I apologize, I regret what happened, and I’m sorry. I don’t know how else to put it."

On claims Molitor started the incident by blowing smoke in Mixon’s face:

"Honestly, it really don’t matter what she did that night. It’s all on me, the reason why I’m in this position right now, and I take full responsibility on what happened that night. It’s never OK to hit a woman. Never, and I will preach that to anybody. It’s never OK, and hopefully people around the world learn form my mistake, and I’m willing to teach."

On community service and counseling:

"I’m still seeking out counseling. I’ve done a well job, at least what they tell me. I appreciate them working with me. We worked a lot, and we done did everything we had to do to come this far, and I feel like from what they say, I’ve done a good job from it."

On if staying at OU helped him grow:

"Honestly, it helped me grown a lot, mentally, physically and emotionally. I learned a lot about myself over these last 2 ½ years. When times get tough, never give up on yourself. Lean on the people that’s there for you. I’m honestly grateful for my second chance. I never gave up, and just keep going from there."

On how this affect Mixon’s perception among NFL teams:

"Honestly, I’m not worried about the NFL. I’m totally committed to the team. I haven’t made a decision. I’m focused on January 2, on beating Auburn."

On incident with an OU parking attendant that led to a one-game suspension:

"First off, I made a mistake. Shouldn’t have ripped the ticket and threw it on the ground. That’s on me, and I apologize to the woman that I affected right there, and that’s it."

On if he has ever hit a woman at another time:

"No ma’am."

On how release of the video affected him:

"It’s affected me a lot. Like I said, mentally and emotionally, I can’t do nothing but thank my teammates for lifting up my spirits, just wanting me to come out and go hard for them every day. And I fell like that’s honestly how I give back to them I can only led by example on and off the field, by words, by my actions, and honestly, I’m willing to do anything for my teammates."

On response around campus:

"Honestly, I really don’t know because I really haven’t been paying attention to it. But, at the same time, just lean on the people that’s always been there for me, and that’s pretty much about it."

On what he would tell himself 2 ½ years ago:

"Honestly, I wouldn’t have been in that situation. Like I said, I regret it. Every day I got to live with it, got to sleep with it. Goes on and on. It haunts me to this day. If I could take it all back, I would. There’s no way, in that environment, period, or with a person period, a male or a female, you should get that aggressive. There’s no way you should hit a female period. Even a male. But at the end of the day, there’s no way you should hit a female, period. And I reacted wrong, and like I said, I apologize to Ms Molitor and the people it affected. The fans, her family. My family. And that’s it."

On if he was intoxicated the night of the punch:

"Sir, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. You can ask anybody. Never did it before."

On criticisms of OU tolerating violence against women:

"Honestly, I can only speak for myself. Never got in trouble like that ever before in my life. I own up to it. There’s no way I should have ever put myself in that situation. There’s no way I should have ever retaliated like that. And basically, I’m grateful I got another opportunity to prove myself, the person I am, and just gotta get people to know me."

On if he would speak to advocacy groups in the future:

"Oh yeah, I’m definitely willing to do that. I think I got an opportunity to do that, and I’m going to seize the moment, do whatever I can to be that person, the bigger person and the man that I should be, just be that influence for young kids that’s lost out there. And really, from certain situations I was in, hopefully I can teach them the next time how to react a certain type of way. And basically like I said, teach them. But I’ll definitely be willing to talk to those kinds of groups."

More on community service:

"Just going around schools, going around little league teams, football basketball, I had some youth teams back home that I spoke to a lot. The kids just them by watching me growing up, I was so much of a role model to the, and they all looked up to me. I’m sure there was other kids around the world that looked up to me. I made a bad choice that night, and like I said, I apologize to everyone that affected. All I ask for the young kids is a second chance, to prove myself and do whatever I can to make things right."

On seeing the video again after being away from the situation:

"Like I said, I couldn’t do nothing but apologize to Ms. Molitor for my actions. I take full responsibility for it. I can’t express enough how sorry I am. I’m hoping one day I could apologize to her face to face and ask her for (her) forgiveness."

On idea incident with parking ticket shows continued anger issues:

"Like I said, it was just a frustration deal, first ticket you ever got, you know what I’m saying. I don’t know how people react, but at the end of the day, I should have just took the ticket, smiled and said thank you, and walked away."

On if he has had specific talks about becoming a spokesman against violence:

"Yes, I definitely asked around. We got things set up for me to do. And when the time is right, we’re going to go ahead, sit down, get things figured out, and I’m definitely gonna take the time throughout the day to do what I got to do to make people hear me."

On Brenda Tracy’s talk at OU:

"Oh man, Brenda, she was awesome. She was awesome. She touched a lot of people on our team. It was a sad story that she went through, and I feel for her. But I can’t do nothing but thank her for her willingness to speak to us and the team and have basically whereabouts on problems around the world, because it ain’t just on campuses. It’s the world. But Brenda, she did a wonderful job, and I applaud her for that. Thank you."

On if he is bothered by the fact he will always be known for the video:

"At the end of the day, I’m just here to ask people for me to get a second chance. Like I said, I apologize again to Ms. Molitor, her family, the people I affected, the fans around the football world. I ask for your forgiveness, and hopefully I can get a second chance for you guys."

On if he wanted to apologize before:

"Yes, like I said, I actually wanted to do that but with the things going on, the cases, it just wasn’t the right time."

On if there is a timeline for an NFL decision:

"I mean, like I said, I’m really not focused on the NFL right now. I’ve got things I’ve got to do here at Oklahoma. I’ve got the team. We’ve got to prepare and get ready for this game. That’s pretty much about it."

On if what he thought of Bob Stoops’ saying Mixon’s would have been dismissed had the punch happened today instead of 2 ½ years ago:

"Honestly, I didn’t see or hear coach Stoops’ press conference. Like I said, (I’m grateful) for the second chance he gave me the first time. You know, I appreciate it and I’m doing everything I can to be a better person, a better teammate and a better citizen around campus and around the world."

On if he expected national outcry:

"Honestly, I’d say yes. And I understand why. I can only apologize to the people that it affected and I’m sorry for what happened that night. Like I said, if I could do it all over again, I would. I wouldn’t be there. I’d have left. And like I said, to Ms. Molitor, I apologize and I’m asking for your forgiveness."

(Inaudible)

"Honestly, I’m not that type of person to just go out all the time. When people see me, they show love and I show love right back. But that’s just me. I don’t know about other people. But when people go out and make their way, they greet me and tell me how well I’m always, you know, doing the right things, how you doing, basically, you know, having that conversation. I’ve always been a people person, you know, to have a conversation with them. That’s pretty much how I go about things."

On meeting with the media last year at the Orange Bowl:

"Honestly, that sucked, um, knowing that I really couldn’t say too many things at the Orange Bowl. At the end of the day, I was young. Like I said, I still was advised to keep my mouth closed. But at the end of the day, right now, I’m here, and like I said, I apologize to Ms. Molitor."

On talks with attorneys about apologizing:

"I actually took the initiative to go to them and tell them, like, you know, there’s got to be a day where I make my apology. It’s not that I was hiding nothing. I’d been wanting to say something, but at the end of the day, I was just doing what I was asked."

When did those talks happen?

"It’s been awhile. Ever since pretty much being back in football, really."

On anger management as part of counseling:

"It’s like a mix-up, really."

On if he deserved a second chance at OU:

"Like I said, I mean, for coach Stoops, I’m grateful I got a second chance from him, my teammates, the university, the people that, you know, (are) here for me, you know, I appreciate, you know, them for giving me a second chance, and, you know, I’m just here to hope I can get a second chance from everybody else."

On what he would say to Amelia Molitor:

"Honestly, I’d really say that I really apologize. I can’t express enough how sorry I am. I really am sorry. I apologize. I mean, like I said, I can’t express enough how sorry I am, and, you know, for just everybody to forgive me."

On if he ever second-guessed staying at OU:

"Um, honestly, I did. But at the end of the day, I wasn’t gonna run from what happened. I thought it was only right to stick by coach Stoops because when he came to my parents house, he talked to me, he was gonna have me in his corner. He was going to protect me like I’m one of his. He did that to everybody. You make a commitment, you stick with it. Like I said, I’m grateful for the second chance coach Stoops gave me, and I’m trying to do everything I can to be the best person I am and the best teammate I am."