nd undergo counseling.Stoops was asked in 2015 why he did not kick Mixon off the team.In our situation, we felt this [the suspension] was the right way to proceed, Stoops said last year. In the end, we felt that hes been disciplined. He was removed totally from all team activities from that point on.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Darnell Dockett, the big, boisterous defensive lineman who overcame a rough childhood to thrive in the NFL, said goodbye to the league the way he wanted -- as an Arizona Cardinal.The 35-year-old player signed a one-day contract with the team on Monday and announced his retirement at a news conference.Dockett, never at a loss for words, said hes very thankful and beat the odds to make it in the NFL.He played 10 seasons with Arizona after the Cardinals selected him in the third round of the draft out of Florida State.A three-time Pro Bowl selection, he finished his career with 40 1/2 sacks and 538 tackles in 158 games.Dockett only missed two games in those 10 NFL seasons, a remarkable example of endurance considering the position he played. But he tore an ACL in training camp and missed the 2014 season.The Cardinals released Dockett in February 2015.He signed a two-year $7.5 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers, with $2 million guaranteed, but was released before the 2015 season started.Im never going to talk about the other team that I went to, Dockett said, because my heart never was there. ... and everybody knew that. This is where I belong.Living in Decatur, Georgia, Dockett was 13 when he came home and found his mother had been murdered, victim of a gunshot to the head. Four months later, his father died of cancer.An uncle, Kevin Dockett, took custody of the boy and used stern discipline to transform the rebellious youngster into a powerful football player recruited to Florida State. Dockett credits his uncle for saving him.Im very thankful, he said. I beat the odds in a lot of ways. Thats one way Im able to put my cleats up and take my jersey off, knowing that where I came from, all the things, all the adversity and stuff I fought to get this far in life, I have beat the odds.Dockett was known to make up a few stories just to mess with reporters and others. And his comments on social media sometimes got him in trouble.Mark Dalton (vice president, media relations), me and you had a lot of conversation about Twitter, Dockett said. Dont worry, I can do what I want now.The 6-foot-4, 239-pound lineman had a violent edge to his game.There will never be another Darnell Dockett, he said. I played for different reasons. I played, honestly, to hurt people. That was my motto of playing because I loved football. I loved the physical part of it.Dockett mentioned the late Dennis Green, who was Arizonas coach when he was drafted. Green died on Friday at age 67.He thanked Cardinals president Michael Bidwill for allowing him to retire as a Cardinal. Dockett occasionally cast a playful stare at coach Bruce Arians, who was Pittsburghs offensive coordinator when the Steelers beat Arizona with a last-minute touchdown in the 2009 Super Bowl.I would like to thank Bruce Arians, Dockett said. even though he was the reason I dont have my Super Bowl ring.Dockett played one season for Arians, who said the big lineman brought passion every single day, not just game day. It was every practice, every meeting.Several ex-teammates were on hand, including Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle and Antonio Smith.Wilson took the microphone for a tribute to his old teammate.Theres heroes, theres villains, and then theres Dockett. Wilson said. You were a great mix of the two.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLCustom Celtics T-shirts . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Custom Paul George Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.custompacersjersey.com/ .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. Paul George Jersey Large . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. Custom Celtics Jersey China . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw.The attorneys for Joe Mixon released a surveillance video on Friday that shows the Sooners?star running back punching a female Oklahoma student in 2014.The video shows Mixon punching Amelia Molitor, fracturing four bones in her face, during an altercation at a sandwich shop near Oklahomas campus in Norman. He was charged with a misdemeanor at the time of the incident, and the university suspended him for the entire 2014 season.The video was released after the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters sued for its access, prompting the Oklahoma Supreme Court to rule earlier this month that the city of Norman should release it. The city had until Dec. 26 to either release the video or file an appeal.?Mixons attorneys, however, said the running back asked that they make public the video before the citys deadline.?Mr. Mixon asked us to once again say he is sorry for the way he acted that night, a statement through his attorneys said. He has publicly apologized to Ms. Molitor, her friends, his family, teammates, and the University. He hopes that his voluntary release of these recordings will help put this matter to rest.The university issued a statement on Friday night, shortly after the video was released:University officials were made aware of the content of the video prior to taking action with respect to Joe Mixon [in 2014], the school said. Based on that information, the university immediately suspended and removed Mr. Mixon from the football team for one year, during which high standards of conduct were expected and maintained. It was made clear to Mr. Mixon at the time of his suspension that violence against women will not go unpunished at the university. Coach [Bob] Stoops has been proactive in presenting training for his team aimed at preventing such behavior in the future. Sensitivity training in the area of violence has been intensified and best practices will continue to be implemented. Mr. Mixon has apologized for his actions, and the university hopes that it is an indication that he has learned from his mistakes. We are an educational institution, where we hope young people will learn from their mistakes and chart a better future course.ddddddddddddMixon issued a formal apology last month but also suggested that racial slurs were hurled at him, which he said initiated the incident.I was not drinking, Mixon said in the apology, which was sent to The Oklahoman. I have never had a drink in my life. At the end of the night, a group of apparently drunk people started harassing us. Some of my teammates were wise enough to leave. I did not, and I am sorry.Last week, in a statement released to The Oklahoman, attorneys for Molitor called the narrative that she spit on, punched and hurled racial slurs at a cornered man false. Her attorneys asked a judge to suppress the release of the video, arguing it alone wouldnt tell the full story.According to Mixons attorneys, however, Molitor has since given the OK to release the video.?Molitor has a pending civil lawsuit against the running back.Mixon, 20, pleaded guilty to the charge without making an admission of guilt. He received a one-year deferred sentence and was required to perform 100 hours of community service and undergo counseling.Stoops was asked in 2015 why he did not kick Mixon off the team.In our situation, we felt this [the suspension] was the right way to proceed, Stoops said last year. In the end, we felt that hes been disciplined. He was removed totally from all team activities from that point on. And hes earned a way to be back to have an opportunity for a second chance to redeem himself with strict guidelines that go with it.In 11 games for the Sooners this season, Mixon has rushed for a team-leading 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns. Oklahoma plays?Auburn in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.Mixon is a third-year sophomore who is eligible for the 2017 NFL draft.On ability alone, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Mixon as his fifth-highest-rated running back behind Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, DOnta Foreman and Christian McCaffrey.?Information from ESPNs Jake Trotter and The Associated Press was used in this report. ' ' '