Brian Mitchell (running back) facts for kids
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Mitchell in 2022
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| Position: | Running back Return specialist |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | August 18, 1968 Fort Polk, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 221 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
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| High school: | Plaquemine (Plaquemine, Louisiana) |
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| College: | Southwestern Louisiana (1986–1989) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1990 / Round: 5 / Pick: 130 | ||||||||||||||||
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Brian Keith Mitchell (born August 18, 1968) is a former American professional football player. He was a running back and a return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a quarterback for the Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. The Washington Redskins picked him in the 1990 NFL draft. Many people think Mitchell is one of the best return specialists in NFL history.
Mitchell also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. He is second all-time in the NFL for total yards gained, with 23,330 yards. Only Jerry Rice has more. He also holds the record for the most combined yards for a player who isn't a wide receiver. His 13 special teams touchdowns are second in NFL history. His nine punt return touchdowns are third all-time. NFL Network ranked him the second greatest specialist ever.
Since February 2021, Mitchell has been a radio host. He co-hosts "BMitch and Finlay" on WJFK-FM.
Contents
Early Life and College Football
Growing Up in Louisiana
Brian Mitchell was born in Fort Polk, Louisiana. He was the youngest of seven children. His father was a soldier in the U.S. Army. Brian played football at Plaquemine High School.
College Career as a Quarterback
Mitchell went to the University of Southwestern Louisiana. This school is now called the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He played quarterback there.
Mitchell made history in college. He was the first player in NCAA history to pass for over 5,000 yards (5,447) and rush for over 3,000 yards (3,335). He also set an NCAA record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with 47. In his senior year, he rushed for 1,311 yards and passed for 1,966 yards. He scored 25 touchdowns that year. Interestingly, he never returned a punt or kickoff in college.
Professional Football Career
Joining the Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins chose Brian Mitchell in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL draft. He was the 130th player picked overall.
As a rookie (a first-year player), Mitchell started his career with a bang. He returned the opening kickoff of the Redskins' first preseason game for a touchdown. In a famous game called "The Body Bag Game" in 1990, Mitchell even had to play quarterback. This happened after the Philadelphia Eagles injured the Redskins' main quarterbacks. Mitchell threw for 40 yards and ran for a touchdown in that game.
Super Bowl Champion and Star Returner
In his second season, 1991, Mitchell became a star. He led the NFL in punt return yards with 600. He also had two punt return touchdowns. He helped his team reach Super Bowl XXVI. The Redskins won the Super Bowl, beating the Buffalo Bills 37–24.
Mitchell played for the Redskins until 1999. In 1994, he again led the NFL in punt return average (14.1 yards) and touchdowns (two). He was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1995. He also led the league in combined yards (rushing, receiving, and return yards) from 1994 to 1996, and again in 1998. Only Hall of Famer Jim Brown has led the league in this category more times.
The Redskins released Mitchell after the 1999 season.
Playing for Other Teams
Mitchell then signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2000. He played for them until 2002. Even though he was only with the Eagles for three years, he became the team's all-time leader in punt return yards. He still holds that record today.
In 2002, Mitchell was one of the best returners in the NFL. He was third in the NFL for kickoff return average (27.0 yards). He was also seventh in the NFL for punt return average (12.3 yards). He returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. This was his 13th career return touchdown, which was an NFL record at the time. In that same game, he set a record for kick return yards in a single game with 206 yards.
After the Eagles, he played for the New York Giants in 2003. He later signed a special one-day contract with the Washington Redskins. This allowed him to retire as a Redskin.
Brian Mitchell's Amazing Records
Mitchell is known for his incredible yardage totals. He is the NFL's second all-time leader in total yards, with 23,330 yards. This includes 14,014 yards from kickoff returns and 4,999 punt return yards. Both of these are NFL records. His 875 postseason kickoff return yards are also a record.
He also rushed for 1,967 yards and caught 255 passes for 2,336 yards. He scored 29 touchdowns in his career. His 13 special teams touchdowns rank second in the NFL. His nine punt return touchdowns rank third all-time.
Brian Mitchell holds the NFL record for the most combined yards against one team: 3,076 all-purpose yards against the Dallas Cowboys. He also holds the record for most all-purpose yards in a single decade.
He is one of only five players to have four seasons with over 2,000 total yards.
In 2009, he was added to the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame at FedEx Field. He has also been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame several times.
Life After Football
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On Television
After retiring from playing, Brian Mitchell became a TV and radio host. He is currently an NFL analyst for WUSA-TV in Washington D.C.. He co-hosts a Sunday night show called "Sports Plus. Mitchell also co-hosts "Sports Talk Live" and appears on Redskins Pre/Post Game Live on NBC Sports Washington.
On Radio
Mitchell has hosted several radio shows. He hosted The Brian Mitchell Show on WTEM. He also co-hosted The John Thompson Show. In 2008, he had a lively discussion with Redskins running back Clinton Portis on that show.
Since 2012, Mitchell has co-hosted Inside The Locker Room on ESPN 980. In 2018, The Brian Mitchell Show returned. In February 2021, he started co-hosting BMitch and Finlay on 106.7 the Fan. Mitchell also runs the Brian Mitchell Football Camp in Virginia.
Personal Life
Brian Mitchell has four children with his wife, Monica. In 2001, he started the Brian Mitchell Foundation. This foundation helps children in need in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and his hometown of Plaquemine, Louisiana.
Images for kids
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Mitchell at FedExField in 2021
