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MIAMI, Fla. – It was a story that rocked the Sooner nation last year, and now is making an appearance on a national stage.
Last year, OU running back Joe Mixon was suspended from the university after punching Amelia Molitor in a restaurant on Campus Corner in Norman.
Molitor was taken to a hospital and was treated for several broken bones in her face.
The punch was captured on surveillance video, but that video was never made public.
Last year, officials say Mixon entered an Alford plea to the assault charges.
The Alford plea is a guilty plea in criminal court, but Mixon is not admitting guilt to the offense.
He received a one year deferred sentence, served 100 hours of community service and went to cognitive behavior counseling.
He was also suspended for one year from the team.
Mixon, who became a pivotal player in OU’s strategic ground game this season, was open to the media for the first time on Tuesday.
While many reporters asked the running back about that year suspension, Mixon said he would only answer ‘football-related’ questions.
Mixon’s silence on the issue was the talk of many national networks ahead of the game.
On Wednesday, OU head coach Bob Stoops addressed the suspension and the decision to allow him back on the team.
“It’s a situation that’s very unfortunate and Joe was penalized. He was removed from the team for a year,” Bob Stoops said.
Stoops says there “is no excuse for violence against women.” However, he said that Mixon was just an 18-year-old kid who made a mistake and deserved a second chance.
“He continues to do the things the university has put in front of him,” Stoops added.
Stoops says Mixon’s character has shown through to the team, saying that as he continues to fulfill his requirements from the university, he will grow as a young man.
Mixon and the Sooners take on Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31.