Joe Mixon FORT WORTH, TX – OCTOBER 01: Joe Mixon #25 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Joe Mixon redemption tour is underway as the former Oklahoma running back looks to overcome his image problem leading up to the NFL Draft. Mixon, who was guilty of punching a woman in the face, discussed the disgusting incident that was caught on a security camera during an interview with Pro Football Talk Live.

“I made a bad decision,” Mixon said. “Ever since that night I have to live with it. I’ve got to re-live it every day. You can never forget something like that. It still haunts me to this day, but it’s what you do from that point on. You can’t take it back. I can replay it in my head a thousand times, and if I could take it back I would, but I can’t.”

The NFL recently amended its scouting combine policy to block players like Mixon and others with a questionable past behind them from attending the combine, leaving them out of the most critical part of the offseason for draft prospects. That leaves Mixon in need of changing any positive light he can in any way he can in the meantime.

With that being the case, Mixon conducting national radio interviews like this one on Pro Football Talk will be crucial to changing his narrative, although his most important interviews will come in face-to-face meetings with NFL coaches, general managers, and owners during workouts outside of the scouting combine.

Mixon was involved in the assault of a woman in 2014. The video of the incident did not see the light of day to the public until last December prior to Oklahoma’s Sugar Bowl matchup with Auburn. Mixon held a press conference to issue his apology for the incident (two and a half years later, mind you) and was able to play in the Sugar Bowl.

During the game, Auburn fans chanted directly at Mixon and the running back turned and waved his arms to encourage the Auburn fans to keep it up. On the sideline, Mixon was being fake-punched by teammates following big plays on the field. Everything about the Sugar Bowl was a bit tone deaf, including the comments coming from broadcaster Brent Musburger.

Mixon was eligible for another year at Oklahoma, but he opted to head to the NFL now and leave the Sooners behind. Mixon is one of the most talented running backs heading to the NFL this spring, although how exactly his stock will be viewed remains in question given the off-field incident and the way the NFL has responded to recent incidents similar in nature. Even despite this 2014 incident, it is unlikely Mixon falls too far in the NFL Draft pecking order, because ultimately talent will prevail (as awful a thought as that may be to stomach, and despite what happened with Ray Rice).

[Pro Football Talk]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.