Brian Mitchell (running back) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brian Mitchell

Mitchell in 2022
No. 30
Position:	Running back Return specialist
Personal information
Born:	(1968-08-18) August 18, 1968 (age 56) Fort Polk, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	221 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Plaquemine (Plaquemine, Louisiana)
College:	Southwestern Louisiana (1986–1989)
NFL Draft:	1990 / Round: 5 / Pick: 130
Career history
Washington Redskins (1990) Philadelphia Eagles (2000) New York Giants (2003)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XXVI) First-team All-Pro (1995) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1991, 1994) Pro Bowl (1995) NFL punt return yards leader (1991) Washington Redskins 70th Anniversary Team Washington Commanders 90 Greatest Washington Commanders Ring of Fame NFL records Most career kickoff return yards: 14,014 Most career punt return yards: 4,999 Most career total return yards: 19,013
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 1,967 Rushing average: 5.1 Rushing touchdowns: 12 Receptions: 255 Receiving yards: 2,336 Receiving touchdowns: 4 Return yards: 19,013 Return touchdowns: 13
Player stats at PFR

Brian Keith Mitchell, born on August 18, 1968, is a former professional football player. He was known as a running back and a special teams player called a return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Mitchell played college football as a quarterback for the Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. The Washington Redskins picked him in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL draft.

Many people think Brian Mitchell is one of the best return specialists in NFL history. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. Mitchell is currently second all-time in the NFL for total yards gained (called "all-purpose yardage") 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 the second most in NFL history. His nine punt return touchdowns are the third most ever.

Since February 2021, Mitchell has been a co-host for the radio show "BMitch and Finlay" on WJFK-FM. He works with JP Finlay from NBC Sports Washington.

Early Life and High School Football

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. Mitchell played football at Plaquemine High School in his hometown.

College Football Career

Mitchell went to the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Today, this school is called the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. While there, he played as a quarterback.

At Southwestern Louisiana, Mitchell made history. He was the first player in NCAA history to throw for more than 5,000 yards (5,447) and run for more than 3,000 yards (3,335). He also set an NCAA record for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with 47. In his final year, he ran for 1,311 yards and passed for 1,966 yards. He scored 25 touchdowns that year, 6 by passing and 19 by running. Interestingly, he never returned a punt or a kickoff during his college career.

Professional Football Career

The Washington Redskins chose Brian Mitchell in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL draft. He was the 130th player picked overall.

Playing for the Washington Redskins

As a new player, Mitchell started his NFL career with a bang. He returned the opening kickoff of the Redskins' first pre-season game for a touchdown. In a famous game on November 12, 1990, against the Philadelphia Eagles, Mitchell had to play quarterback. This happened because the Redskins' starting and backup quarterbacks were both injured. Mitchell completed 3 of 6 passes for 40 yards and ran for a touchdown.

In his second season with the Redskins in 1991, Mitchell led the NFL in punt return yards with 600. He also scored two punt return touchdowns. That year, his team reached Super Bowl XXVI, where Washington beat 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 also chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1995. Mitchell led the league in combined yards (total yards from rushing, receiving, and returns) from 1994 to 1996, and again in 1998. He is one of only two players to lead the league in this category at least four times. The other player is Hall of Famer Jim Brown.

After the 1999 season, a new owner, Daniel Snyder, took over the team. Mitchell was released from the Redskins.

Later Career with Other Teams

In 2000, Mitchell signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played for them until 2002. Even though he was only with the Eagles for three years, Mitchell became the team's all-time leader in punt return yards. He still holds that record today.

In 2002, Mitchell was one of only two players to rank in the top seven for both kickoff returns and punt returns. He was second in the NFC and third in the NFL for kickoff return average, with 27.0 yards per return. He was also third in the NFC and seventh in the NFL for punt return average, with 12.3 yards per return. On November 25, he returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. This was Mitchell's 13th career kick return touchdown, setting a new NFL record at the time. In that same week, he set a record for kick return yards in a single game with 206 yards.

After his time with the Eagles, he signed with the New York Giants for the 2003 season. He was released before the 2004 season. Later, he signed a special one-day contract with the Washington Redskins. This allowed him to officially retire as a Redskin player.

Brian Mitchell's Legacy and Records

Brian Mitchell is the NFL's second all-time leader in total yards, with 23,330 yards. Only Jerry Rice has more. A big part of his total yards came from his 14,014 kickoff return yards and 4,999 punt return yards. Both of these are NFL records. His 875 postseason kickoff return yards are also a record. He also ran for 1,967 yards, caught 255 passes for 2,336 yards, and scored 29 touchdowns. His 13 special teams touchdowns rank second in the NFL, behind Devin Hester. His nine punt return touchdowns rank third, behind Hester (11) and Eric Metcalf (10).

Mitchell also holds the NFL record for the most combined yards by any player against a single opponent: 3,076 all-purpose yards against the Dallas Cowboys. He also holds the record for the 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. The others are Marshall Faulk, Dante Hall, Darren Sproles, and Tiki Barber. He almost had a fifth season, missing it by just five yards.

In 2009, he was honored by being inducted into the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame at FedEx Field. Mitchell was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and again in 2022, but he was not chosen as a finalist.

NFL Career Statistics

Return Specialist Statistics

Rushing and Receiving Statistics

Life After Football

Mitchell at FedExField in 2021

Television Work

After retiring from playing, Brian Mitchell became a TV and radio host and analyst. On television, he is currently an NFL analyst for WUSA-TV in Washington D.C.. He co-hosts their 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.

Radio Work

On radio, Mitchell hosted The Brian Mitchell Show on WTEM until 2007. He then became a co-host on The John Thompson Show. In 2008, Mitchell had a lively discussion with Redskins running back Clinton Portis on the show. Mitchell was also a frequent guest and guest host on other sports radio shows. In 2010, he started his own Saturday show on 106.7 The Fan. Since March 2012, Mitchell has co-hosted Inside The Locker Room on ESPN 980 with former Redskin Rick Walker. In 2018, The Brian Mitchell Show returned with Mitchell and Scott Linn as hosts.

In February 2021, 106.7 the Fan in Washington announced their new radio show, BMitch and Finlay. Mitchell co-hosts this show with JP Finlay, who reports on the Washington Football Team for NBC Sports Washington.

Personal Life

Brian Mitchell has four children with his wife, Monica. In 2001, he started the Brian Mitchell Foundation. This foundation helps children who are facing challenges in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and his hometown of Plaquemine, Louisiana.

Images for kids

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  Mitchell in 2022

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  Mitchell at FedExField in 2021