Jim Owczarski

jowczarski@enquirer.com

The opening moments of Joe Mixon’s professional football life were stripped down to its bones. He was home in Oakley, California, lifting threes, playing teams with siblings and navigating a game of H-O-R-S-E, like he did in a not-too-distant-childhood.

The sun was beginning its tumble toward the Pacific Ocean directly overhead, hours from sunset, hours from, what he hoped, was the dawn of a new life.

His phone rang at 8:20 p.m. Eastern, and the ball stopped. Mixon took a walk down the street as Marvin Lewis told the 20-year-old he would be a Cincinnati Bengal.

His shoulders lightened for the first time in a long time.

The walk up and down the street took about 10 minutes as shortly after he walked into the house as Bengals Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz called Mixon’s name in Philadelphia at the NFL Draft, officially, at 8:30 p.m.

He tried to play it cool for his family after Lewis called, allowing them the chance to absorb the news on television. But to hear his name called, the house turned celebratory and the joy – and relief – within that moment had finally broken him open.

“It was the best feeling in the world,” he said through heavy breaths Friday night.

Mike Brown: We took a risk on Mixon

Twenty-three minutes later, over a crackling speaker phone in the bowels of Paul Brown Stadium, Mixon remained open, raw. He heaved audible tears in the of the opening minutes of his seven-minute conference call, which concluded shortly after 9 p.m.

He began to settle, thinking he had until Saturday to fly out to Cincinnati. But no – a redeye flight was available.

Now, it was business.

His business.

No agent, no handlers or family were making the trip. Mixon quickly tossed an outfit into a bag and was off.

The City of Oakley abuts Big Break Bay, about an hour inland from San Francisco. He was hustled over to San Francisco International Airport for an 11:30 p.m. flight out to CVG, by way of Atlanta.

Sitting the car, Mixon fired off texts, responding to the good wishes that flooded his phone

But his flight out was delayed two hours, 48 minutes and after touching down at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 9:30 a.m., he had only minutes to get to another gate and his connection to Cincinnati.

Here was an NFL draft pick – arguably the most visible of the weekend – jogging, weaving through foot traffic in the morning rush trying to get his connection departing at 9:41 a.m. – only to miss it by minutes.

“I couldn’t run too fast,” he told The Enquirer. “I had my bag with me and stuff. I had gotten off the plane and seen the time and I tried to get to my connecting flight but I had to get to another concourse, so I had to get on the train. The train was the reason I had missed.”

Bengals staffers joked with him later, saying if maybe Mixon had new teammate John Ross’ 4.2 speed he could have slipped onto the jet bridge.

“I know! I know. Or Usain Bolt or something.”

Bengals ready for all that drafting Joe Mixon entails

He called Bengals running backs coach Kyle Caskey and his agent, Peter Schaffer, to get him some help. He was stuck for another two and a half hours.

A few people recognized him and offered congratulations, but he did his best to blend into the crowd.

It was just under 13 hours since the call from Lewis, and he was still wired with excitement, finally headed into the Queen City at 12:16 p.m.

There would be no sleep on the plane, however.

His mind rolled over what was ahead: meeting coaches, maybe some teammates – and answering questions. A lot of questions.

He saw the stadium for the first time cresting the hill on 71 North, and the car pulled into the player's lot. Finally.

Ushered in at 2:18 p.m., an understated chain was looped around his neck, laid over a black T-shirt. He sported fashionably torn jean shorts. His Nike socks were in Oklahoma colors, inside black patent leather Jordans

The third day of the draft had already begun, so staff members escorted him to the draft room for a quick greeting with coaches and the front office. They headed across the mezzanine that overlooked the Bengals’ weight room, and site of its draft party, and fans caught a glimpse of him and applauded. He paused, smiled widely and waved.

It was unlike any cheer he ever felt, and he admitted some apprehension floated away.

“It was like a very humbling experience walking into something like that,” he said. “Because in my situation, I really didn’t know what to expect. But then when they were all cheering I was very happy and relieved.

“I can’t thank them enough for the warm welcoming.”

Once in the draft room, the Bengals were close to making a fourth-round selection so Mixon quickly worked the room that included owner and president Mike Brown, Lewis and other coaches and front office personnel.

He returned, formally, to the draft party. He then cut through the locker room for the first time and saw his name stitched above the number 34.

“That’s when, it was just like wow, I made it, I’m here,” he said. “Just seeing that, it’s a dream come true. I can’t do nothing but be thankful for it.”

Waiting for Lewis to come down for the joint press conference with third-round pick Jordan Willis, Mixon stood silently with his hands in the pockets in the locker room. Just before heading to the press conference he was handed a Bengals polo, which he buttoned to the collar.

On the stage, the smile belied his exhaustion.

His eyes were bleary. But he couldn’t contain the smile. He leaned forward to watch and listen to new teammate Jordan Willis speak; whipped his head around to see who was coming through the door over his back shoulder.

He was taking it all in and he took it all. Every question.

Moments after Munoz read his name on the ESPN simulcast on Friday night, the network aired the video of Mixon’s 2014 assault on Amelia Molitor. He had answered for that, in the eyes of the Bengals, for two years, nine months and three days.

Now, in his new workplace, his new city, he answered for it for another 35 minutes.

Mixon met with the media on several different occasions, from his formal introduction with Lewis and Willis on the dais to a timed, 10-minute session with beat writers to another timed, 10-minute session with the local television stations. He then did individual, televised interviews with ESPN and the NFL Network. He was working through nearly 18 and a half hours of no sleep, but his back remained straight, as did his eye level.

“I’m not trying to prove nobody wrong,” he said Saturday. “I’m just trying to prove the Bengals right by taking me.”

Cincinnati Bengals react to Joe Mixon, 2017 draft

After a final interview, Mixon met briefly with Caskey. At about 3:45 p.m., Mixon was driven to the hotel to finally get some rest – maybe.

“Man, honestly, I pulled an all-nighter,” he laughed. “I pulled an all-nighter. Because I knew I was going to leave early (Sunday) morning so I was just like I’m not even going to go to sleep because if I did I probably wouldn’t have woke up.”

At 5 p.m., he sat down for dinner at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse with Bengals director of player relations Eric Ball, fellow running back Giovani Bernard, Willis and defensive end Michael Johnson. The dinner is customary, and the club pairs the rookie up with a veteran at his position. At the table Mixon was reserved, the glow of his phone often attracting his attention. But, he listened and asked questions. Topics from how to find a place to live, to handling his money, to hurdles an NFL rookie face all were broached. And, like the front office and coaches before them, the players at the table came away impressed.

Sunday morning, Mixon was off again – this time back to Oakley, California, on a 9:33 a.m. flight out of CVG.

“The best way I can really say, is a sigh of relief,” he said of those 37 hours and 13 minutes that elapsed from that call in the street Oakley to the point where he sunk into his window seat.

He buckled up and turned the air conditioner nozzle onto his head.

He didn’t feel liftoff.