Joe Mixon

Joe Mixon
Name	Joe Mixon
Number	28
Position	Running back
Birth date	24 July 1996
Birth place	Oakley, California, U.S.
Weight lb	222
College	Oklahoma
Draftyear	2017
Draftpick	48
Pastteams	* Cincinnati Bengals (2017–present)
Status	Active

Joe Mixon is an American professional American football player who is a running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. A standout at the University of Oklahoma Sooners, he was selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Mixon has appeared in multiple postseason games, including Divisional and Conference Championship matchups, and has been noted for his combination of power and receiving ability.

Early life and high school

Mixon was born in Oakley, California, and raised in Antioch, where he attended Deer Valley High School before transferring to Pleasant Grove High School in Elk Grove. At Pleasant Grove he played under coaches who produced prospects who later attended programs such as California and USC. As a prep, he competed against recruits from programs like Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Penn State, and Florida. Rated by recruiting services alongside peers such as Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Saquon Barkley, and Christian McCaffrey, Mixon earned offers from Power Five programs including California, Arizona State, USC, and Oklahoma.

College career

Mixon enrolled at the University of Oklahoma and played for the Oklahoma Sooners football program under head coach Bob Stoops and later Lincoln Riley. As a freshman, he joined a backfield that featured Samaje Perine and faced defenses such as Clemson and Ohio State. He compiled rushing totals that placed him among Sooners like Adrian Peterson, DeMarco Murray, and Joe Mixon's Oklahoma predecessors in single-season lists. Mixon gained national attention during matchups versus TCU, Baylor, and Oklahoma State in the Red River Rivalry. He declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season, joining other Sooners who entered early such as Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Sam Bradford.

Professional career

Mixon was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round (48th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft, joining a roster that included players like Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, Gio Bernard, and later teammates such as Joe Burrow and Tyler Boyd. In his rookie season he contributed on offense and special teams, playing in games against franchises including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans. Over subsequent seasons he recorded 1,000-yard rushing campaigns and formed part of a balanced attack alongside receivers from the Ravens and Chiefs matchups, and faced running back peers such as Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott. Mixon played in playoff contests versus teams like the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and in an AFC Championship matchup when the Bengals advanced deep into the postseason. He earned Pro Football Focus recognition and reached statistical milestones tracked by the Pro Bowl voting process and league record books.

Legal issues and controversies

Mixon's college years included a high-profile legal incident that led to an arrest and court proceedings, drawing attention from media outlets and public figures including commentators from ESPN, The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, and The Washington Post. The case prompted discussion in collegiate athletics circles involving institutions like the National Collegiate Athletic Association and sparked statements from Oklahoma program leadership including Bob Stoops and university administrators. The incident affected his draft process and led to scrutiny from NFL teams and general managers such as those in Cleveland and New York. In the NFL he has been subject to public debate around player conduct policies administered by the National Football League Players Association and the NFL office, drawing commentary from analysts on networks like CBS Sports, Fox Sports, and Bleacher Report.

Playing style and statistics

Mixon is characterized as a between-the-tackles runner with pass-catching ability, drawing comparisons to backs such as LeSean McCoy, Marshawn Lynch, and Melvin Gordon. Scouts from outlets including NFL Network, Pro Football Focus, ESPN analysts, and The Athletic evaluated his agility, vision, and contact balance coming out of college. His stat lines include rushing and receiving totals logged on the NFL stat sheets and in databases maintained by Pro-Football-Reference, StatMuse, and ESPN. He has recorded multiple 100-yard rushing games, third-down conversions, and red-zone touchdowns in matchups against teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs.

Personal life and charity work

Off the field, Mixon has family ties to the San Francisco Bay Area and has been involved in community activities in Cincinnati and California. He has participated in youth football camps alongside Bengals teammates and local organizations, working with groups such as the United Way and regional chapters of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Mixon has engaged with players' union programs through the National Football League Players Association and charity initiatives publicized on team platforms and local media including The Cincinnati Enquirer and WLWT-TV.

Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:American football running backs Category:Cincinnati Bengals players Category:Oklahoma Sooners football players