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NFL draft: Troubled Joe Mixon, Ishmael Zamora don't receive scouting combine invites
Two talented but controversial NFL draft prospects will not be able to improve their stocks at the NFL scouting combine, according to a USA Today report.
Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon and Baylor wideout Ishmael Zamora were not granted invitations to the combine, which typically features more than 300 of the best draft prospects each year for physical testing, medical evaluations and interviews from every NFL team.
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The latter — evaluating players’ character — is a big part of the process. Mixon, who was caught on tape punching a woman in 2014, and Zamora, who was was seen on video beating and kicking a dog, will not be invited to the event and will need to take other measures to convince NFL teams to draft them. Mixon was suspended by OU for the 2015 season, and Zamora was suspended three games by Baylor last season.
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The NFL issued a policy change last year, informing teams that it would not grant combine invites to prospects with convictions related to domestic violence, sexual assault or weapons, but neither Mixon nor Zamora have been convicted. Mixon didn’t serve jail time after entering a plea while asserting his innocence, and he was ordered to undergo counseling and serve 100 hours community service. Zamora was charged with a misdemeanor.
On the one hand, you would think NFL teams would want to grill players such as Mixon and Zamora for their mistakes at an event such as this. But on the other, you can understand why the NFL would not want to reward players a chance to test against the best and make a statement against violence in the process.
Each player will have to take the long route toward cleaning up their images as their NFL futures hang in the balance.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
