Dvoracek returned for the 2005 season, had another All-Big 12 campaign and even resumed his team duties as captain. Mixon, on the other hand, was removed from all team activities, but with the intent all along of bringing him back this fall.

Dvoracek, an All-Big 12 defensive tackle, had originally assumed his college career was finished and began training for the NFL. But he remained an OU student while training and, when the time came, he decided to return to school. He filed an appeal with the Big 12 Conference to be allowed to return to OU, which was denied, but then appealed to the NCAA. The association granted Dvoracek a hardship waiver based on "incapacity resulting from an injury or illness" that was medically determined to be alcohol dependency and anger management.

Since then, Dvoracek played four injury-wrecked years in the NFL, got into a 2010 Norman bar scuffle and has since become a respected radio and television broadcaster. As part of the Fox Sports Oklahoma and Sooner radio crew, he’s around OU all the time.

Stoops says Dvoracek should stand as a beacon for Mixon or any other high-profile young person who crosses the line and gets into trouble.