Joe Mixon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Joe Mixon

Mixon with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019
No. 28 – Houston Texans
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1996-07-24) July 24, 1996 (age 28) Oakley, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Freedom (Oakley, California)
College:	Oklahoma (2014–2016)
NFL Draft:	2017 / Round: 2 / Pick: 48
Career history
Cincinnati Bengals (2017–2023) Houston Texans (2024–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
2× Pro Bowl (2021, 2024) First-team All-Big 12 (2016)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Rushing yards: 7,428 Rushing average: 4.1 Rushing touchdowns: 60 Receptions: 319 Receiving yards: 2,448 Receiving touchdowns: 14
Player stats at PFR

Joseph Tyler Mixon (born July 24, 1996) is an American professional football player. He is a running back for the Houston Texans in the National Football League (NFL). Mixon played college football at the University of Oklahoma. He was chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Early Life and High School Football

Joe Mixon grew up in Oakley, California. He went to Freedom High School. There, he played both football and basketball.

Mixon was a star running back for the Falcons football team. He started for three years. In his sophomore year, he ran for 1,134 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. As a junior, he gained 1,443 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. In his final year, he rushed for 1,704 yards and 23 touchdowns.

He was also good at basketball. His team had a great season, winning 22 games and losing only 2.

Experts ranked Mixon as a top recruit. He was considered the best running back in the country. In 2014, he decided to play college football for the University of Oklahoma. He had many offers from other big schools.

College Football Career

Mixon played college football for the University of Oklahoma from 2014 to 2016. He was suspended for the 2014 season due to an off-field incident.

In 2015, Mixon played his first college season. He played in all 12 games. In his very first game, he caught a 76-yard touchdown pass. This was the longest catch by a freshman running back for Oklahoma. He also ran for 27 yards.

Later that season, he had a great game against Texas Tech. He ran for 154 yards and scored two touchdowns. Against Oklahoma State, he rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Oklahoma made it to the College Football Playoff that year.

For the 2015 season, Mixon ran for 749 yards. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry and scored seven rushing touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 345 yards and four receiving touchdowns.

Mixon continued to shine in the 2016 season. He had many strong performances. Against Texas Tech, he had an amazing game. He ran for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 114 yards and three receiving touchdowns. This was a career best for him.

After the 2016 season, Mixon decided to enter the NFL Draft. He gave up his last two years of college eligibility.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Before the 2017 NFL Draft, many experts thought Mixon was a very talented player. However, some teams were concerned about his past off-field issues. He was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. But the Cincinnati Bengals met with him to learn more.

Mixon performed well at Oklahoma's Pro Day. This is where players show their skills to NFL teams.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Joe Mixon in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was the fourth running back chosen that year. On June 2, 2017, Mixon signed a four-year contract with the Bengals.

2017 Season

Mixon made his NFL debut on September 10, 2017. In Week 5, he scored his first career rushing touchdown. In Week 8, he had over 100 total yards from rushing and receiving. He finished his rookie season with 626 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. He also had 30 catches for 287 receiving yards.

2018 Season

Mixon started the 2018 season strong. He had 95 rushing yards and a touchdown in the first game. In Week 8, he rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns. This was his second game with multiple touchdowns. In Week 15, he rushed for 129 yards and two more touchdowns. He led the AFC in rushing yards with 1,168. He also scored eight rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown.

2019 Season

Mixon playing against the Cleveland Browns in 2019

In Week 10, Mixon rushed for a season-high 114 yards. He scored his first rushing touchdown of the season in Week 11. In Week 14, he had 146 rushing yards and a touchdown. He finished the 2019 season with 1,137 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He also had 35 catches for 287 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

2020 Season

On September 1, 2020, Mixon signed a new four-year contract with the Bengals. In Week 4, he had a fantastic game against the Jaguars. He rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown pass. For this performance, he was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Mixon later suffered a foot injury and missed the rest of the season. He finished the 2020 season with 428 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in six games.

2021 Season

Mixon had a great start to the 2021 season. In Week 1, he rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown. In Week 11, he had 121 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The next week, he gained 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week again.

In December, Mixon was chosen for his first Pro Bowl. He was the first Bengals running back to make the Pro Bowl since 2004. He finished the 2021 season with a career-high 1,205 rushing yards. He also scored 13 rushing touchdowns, the most by a Bengals player since 1988.

In Super Bowl LVI, Mixon rushed for 72 yards. He also threw his first career pass, a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins. He was only the third running back in NFL history to throw a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

2022 Season

In Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers, Mixon had an amazing game. He rushed for 153 yards and scored a career-high five touchdowns. This was a franchise record for the Bengals. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game. For the 2022 season, Mixon rushed for 814 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 60 passes for 441 yards and two touchdowns. In the playoffs, he ran for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Bills.

2023 Season

Mixon started the 2023 season by changing his contract to help the team. He scored his first touchdown in Week 3. In Week 8, he had his first game with over 100 combined yards. He scored two touchdowns in Week 13. In Week 18, he had his only 100-yard rushing game of the season. Mixon finished the 2023 season with 1,034 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns. He became the third-highest rushing leader in Bengals history.

Houston Texans

On March 13, 2024, Mixon was traded to the Houston Texans. The next day, he signed a new three-year contract. In his first game with the Texans, he rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance.

After missing three games with an ankle injury, he returned strong. In Week 6, he had 132 total yards and two touchdowns. He continued to play well, scoring touchdowns in many games. In Week 11, he rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns. He also set an NFL record for rushing yards and a touchdown in six straight road games. He finished the 2024 season with 1,016 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He also had 309 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. In the playoffs, he rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown in a win against the Chargers.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Postseason