Joe Mixon’s agent says client worthy of second chance
After Joe Mixon declared for the NFL Draft, his agent tried to drum up support for his client with the hope of boosting his draft stock in the wake of video surfacing of him assaulting a woman during his freshman year.
The discussion involving Joe Mixon and his NFL future took another weird turn on Friday afternoon when his agent Peter Schaffer did a radio interview. Schaffer appeared on 98.1 FM in Oklahoma City to give an interview with the Monster of the Midday show and things got controversial in a hurry.
Mixon has been in the spotlight for the last few weeks after a video was released of him punching a female Oklahoma student when he was a freshman and breaking bones in her face. Mixon was suspended for the year but the video was not seen until December. A new wave of criticism hit Oklahoma, Sooners head football coach Bob Stoops and Mixon for their role in the assault and the (lack of) punishment.
Mixon’s agent has a job to sell his client to NFL teams so they take him early in the draft where his on-field talent would dictate. Considering his significant character concerns, Schaffer has his work cut out for him and he made some comments that will be dissected for a long time.
The transcript of the interview, courtesy of Deadspin will sound familiar to what Brent Musburger said during the telecast of the Sugar Bowl on January 2. The legendary announcer was heavily criticized and chastised for saying he hopes Mixon has a productive NFL career and makes the most of his second chance and uses this opportunity to educate people that hitting women is unacceptable.
"At the end of the day, if he can help a team win because he’s a great talent, on and off the field, and the team are comfortable that he will provide them with a better chance to succeed they will draft him. It’s very simple.Joe has a great opportunity in front of him. He has an opportunity to prove that the wonderful second chance that he was given by the University of Oklahoma, Coach Stoops, and Coach Gundy and the athletic department and the school president. To go back and rectify the mistake that he made, that he’s admitted up to, that he’s owned up to and as an 18 year old young man to prove to people that, shoot, he is worthy of this second chance. That’s what he’s gotta to do.And it’s no different than any other 18 year old that’s made a mistake, some greater, some less."
On one hand, it is simple, Mixon will be drafted because he can help an NFL team win games. It’s sad, but it’s also a reality that can’t be discounted. Schaffer has a responsibility to Mixon to do his job to get him drafted and drafted high. That means he has to sell Mixon like he’s learned from this abhorrent act and he’s worthy of the second chance he was given.
Schaffer would continue and say they have a plan in place to show Mixon has changed but didn’t divulge details. The tone of the conversation got a bit testy with him and the hosts before it ended.
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Overall, Schaffer did what agents do, and agents to slimy things, so we shouldn’t be too surprised. And we shouldn’t be surprised to have this conversation about Mixon and whether he deserves to play in the NFL so long as he’s in the league.
Some will never forgive. Some will forgive and be open to him getting a second chance and a career in the NFL. Others will forgive and not want him on their team while some will tolerate his past if it means their favorite team wins more games in the future.
People will never forget what he did, so hopefully, they never forget about the victim and consider her well-being before we put too much stock in Mixon “overcoming” any such adversity.