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Bobby Mitchell
Robert Cornelius Mitchell (June 6, 1935 – April 5, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a halfback and wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and professionally for the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins. In 1962 he was the first black player to sign with the Redskins, who were the last NFL team to racially integrate.
After his playing career, Mitchell became an executive with Washington. He joined their scouting department in 1969 and was named assistant general manager in 1981, spending over 40 years with the team in total before retiring in 2002. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and had his jersey number 49 retired by the team following his death in 2020.
Mitchell was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and attended Langston High School. There, he played football, basketball, and track, and was good enough at baseball to be offered a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Instead of playing professional baseball, Mitchell chose to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which he picked from a host of schools that offered him scholarships. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and had a particularly good sophomore year. At the beginning of the 1955 season, he was behind junior Harry Jefferson on the depth chart. Seven games into the season, Jefferson went down with an injury, and Mitchell took over at one of the halfback spots. The first time he handled the football, he ran 64 yards for a touchdown. Though he entered in the third quarter, Mitchell gained 173 yards in 10 carries, and the Illini upset third-ranked Michigan, 25–6. He gained more than 100 yards in each of the final two games of the season, when he also played as a defensive back. That year, he averaged a record 8.6 yards per rush.
As a junior in 1956, Mitchell did not see the field much due to a knee injury. After his senior season, he was invited to play in the College All-Star Game, where he got behind defensive back, James David on an 84-yard touchdown reception, and then scored again on an 18-yard pass from Jim Ninowski. The All-Stars' upset the Detroit Lions, 35–19, and Mitchell and Ninowski shared game MVP honors. Mitchell was named first-team All-Big Ten football in 1955 and second-team status in 1957. He was named to The Pigskin Club Honor Roll by The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C.
Mitchell was even more successful in track. In February 1958, he set an indoor world record (one that lasted only six days) with a 7.7 mark in the 70-yard low hurdles. He was the runner-up in the long jump at the 1958 NCAA Track and Field Championships. In the Big Ten championships, he scored 13 points and helped Illinois win the title. Mitchell was unsure whether he wanted to pursue a career in football or track. Even though the 1960 Summer Olympics were still two years away, he had his sights set on competing on the American team. However, Cleveland Browns head coach Paul Brown offered to pay him $7,000 during his rookie season and was able to convince Mitchell to play football instead of participating in the Olympics.
Mitchell was drafted 84th overall in the seventh round of the 1958 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, where he played as a halfback. He was teamed with Jim Brown to give the Browns one of the most successful running back combinations from 1958 through 1961.
As a rookie, Mitchell had a 98-yard kickoff return. A year later against Washington, he rushed for 232 yards, including a 90-yard scoring scamper, a Browns record until it was broken by Nick Chubb in 2018. The same year, he returned a punt 78 yards against the New York Giants. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 1960.
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Bobby Mitchell
Robert Cornelius Mitchell (June 6, 1935 – April 5, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a halfback and wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and professionally for the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins. In 1962 he was the first black player to sign with the Redskins, who were the last NFL team to racially integrate.
After his playing career, Mitchell became an executive with Washington. He joined their scouting department in 1969 and was named assistant general manager in 1981, spending over 40 years with the team in total before retiring in 2002. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and had his jersey number 49 retired by the team following his death in 2020.
Mitchell was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and attended Langston High School. There, he played football, basketball, and track, and was good enough at baseball to be offered a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Instead of playing professional baseball, Mitchell chose to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which he picked from a host of schools that offered him scholarships. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and had a particularly good sophomore year. At the beginning of the 1955 season, he was behind junior Harry Jefferson on the depth chart. Seven games into the season, Jefferson went down with an injury, and Mitchell took over at one of the halfback spots. The first time he handled the football, he ran 64 yards for a touchdown. Though he entered in the third quarter, Mitchell gained 173 yards in 10 carries, and the Illini upset third-ranked Michigan, 25–6. He gained more than 100 yards in each of the final two games of the season, when he also played as a defensive back. That year, he averaged a record 8.6 yards per rush.
As a junior in 1956, Mitchell did not see the field much due to a knee injury. After his senior season, he was invited to play in the College All-Star Game, where he got behind defensive back, James David on an 84-yard touchdown reception, and then scored again on an 18-yard pass from Jim Ninowski. The All-Stars' upset the Detroit Lions, 35–19, and Mitchell and Ninowski shared game MVP honors. Mitchell was named first-team All-Big Ten football in 1955 and second-team status in 1957. He was named to The Pigskin Club Honor Roll by The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C.
Mitchell was even more successful in track. In February 1958, he set an indoor world record (one that lasted only six days) with a 7.7 mark in the 70-yard low hurdles. He was the runner-up in the long jump at the 1958 NCAA Track and Field Championships. In the Big Ten championships, he scored 13 points and helped Illinois win the title. Mitchell was unsure whether he wanted to pursue a career in football or track. Even though the 1960 Summer Olympics were still two years away, he had his sights set on competing on the American team. However, Cleveland Browns head coach Paul Brown offered to pay him $7,000 during his rookie season and was able to convince Mitchell to play football instead of participating in the Olympics.
Mitchell was drafted 84th overall in the seventh round of the 1958 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, where he played as a halfback. He was teamed with Jim Brown to give the Browns one of the most successful running back combinations from 1958 through 1961.
As a rookie, Mitchell had a 98-yard kickoff return. A year later against Washington, he rushed for 232 yards, including a 90-yard scoring scamper, a Browns record until it was broken by Nick Chubb in 2018. The same year, he returned a punt 78 yards against the New York Giants. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 1960.
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