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Sooners RB Joe Mixon declines to address 2014 assault case

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- In his first interview since being suspended for the 2014 season after punching a woman, Oklahoma Sooners running back Joe Mixon didn't say much.

"All I've got to say is, I'm here to answer all football questions," Mixon said Tuesday during media day for the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl against the Clemson Tigers. "Nothing else about any situation other than football."

Mixon had not been made available for interviews since arriving at Oklahoma last summer.

Days before the start of fall camp last July, he punched a female Oklahoma student in the face during an early-morning altercation at a Norman sandwich shop. The punch broke four bones in her face.

After school president David Boren, athletic director Joe Castiglione and coach Bob Stoops viewed a surveillance video of the incident, they suspended Mixon for the year. The video was never released to the public, though it was viewed by select local media.

Mixon has since been reinstated and has been a big part of the Oklahoma offense this season alongside Samaje Perine in the Sooners' backfield.

Mixon, a redshirt freshman, has rushed for 749 yards and seven touchdowns in helping the No. 4 Sooners (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) advance to play No. 1 Clemson (13-0, 8-0 ACC).

In October, Mixon entered an Alford plea to a misdemeanor assault charge. He agreed to perform 100 hours of community service and receive counseling. He was also given a one-year deferred sentence.

Mixon was finally made available Tuesday because College Football Playoff rules stipulate that each player on the roster must be made available at media day, though there is no written policy on repercussions for a team that withholds a player.

Even though an Oklahoma spokesman said Mixon would only be taking "football-only" questions, which Castiglione later said was on the advice of his attorney, the line of questioning heavily focused on the incident:

  • On whether he had any regrets: "No."

  • On whether he had a desire to answer non-football questions: "No."

  • On whether he owed it to the fans to address what happened: "No. Not here."

  • On whether his incident might have alienated female football fans: "That's on them."

  • On what it meant to get a second chance: "Meant a lot. I'm happy, right?"

  • On whether he feels sorry about what happened: "I already told you, I'm not answering that."

  • On whether he will ever address what happened: "My lawyer will."

Information from ESPN's Andrea Adelson was used in this report.