Anthony Munoz called Joe Mixon's name, a Cincinnati Bengal Hall of Famer calling the name of a now-Cincinnati Bengal lightning rod, and Mixon says he started crying. Was still a little teary an hour later, Mixon said, when he talked to Cincinnati media via teleconference from his Oakley, Calif., home.

Hard to blame Mixon for being so emotional Friday night. His NFL dream was in various stages of tatters over the last 33 months. Since Mixon slugged Mia Molitor at Pickleman's Café on July 25, 2014, his pro football future was uncertain. Still is, frankly.

This is a cutthroat business. Little is guaranteed. Even for supreme talents, much less players with checkered pasts whose mere selection in the draft spark community outrage.

The editorial board of WCPO, Cincinnati's ABC television affiliate, called for a boycott of the Bengals, asking fans to instead donate their ticket money to a nonprofit that works to prevent violence against women.