Texas Head Coach Charlie Strong On Oklahoma's Joe Mixon: "If You Hit A Young Lady...You Can't Play For Me"
In light of the multiple incidents involving Florida State players allegedly hitting women at Tallahassee bars last month, there has been some higher scrutiny on Bob Stoops' decision to keep running back Joe Mixon on the team. Mixon, who was suspended for his freshman season after being charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly hitting a fellow Oklahoma student last July, will suit up for the Sooners this season, which Stoops has defended.
“We disciplined in a certain way depending on the circumstances we have, and these guys have had significant penalties.”
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“They've had a lot of other internal measures to meet and to stand — to right up to, and if all those were met, then they had the opportunity to redeem themselves and hopefully grow from their experience,” Stoops said.
As an educational institution, Stoops said it is the university's responsibility to help and rehabilitate cases such as Shannon and Mixon, rather than just let them go.
“But they also know that we have some very high standards for them to meet and if they're not met, then they won't be with us any longer,” Stoops said.
Former Oklahoma defensive lineman Tony Casillas had some very harsh words for school president David Boren for allowing Mixon to remain on the team earlier this month. Texas head coach Charlie Strong also commented on the general issue of college players hitting women, and how he handles situations similar to Mixon's.
When Strong addressed the media from the podium, he was asked about big-name players transferring schools after getting in trouble.
“I'm all into giving guys second chances but I want to give guys on my team second chances, not someone else from another program,” Strong said.
On the other hand, had Mixon been a Longhorn when his incident occurred, Strong said he would not have let him stay with the program.
“I can’t help you there,” Strong said. “It you hit a young lady — that’s how it’s always been if you hit a young lady. I’ll help you go somewhere else but you can’t play for me.”
While OU fans probably don't love Strong commenting on their players, he's not the only high-profile coach with a no-tolerance domestic violence policy. South Carolina's Steve Spurrier has a similar stance.
With a higher emphasis on preventing these situations in college football, expect more programs to handle these situations the way that Strong, who has been consulted by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and Spurrier do.
