Stump Mitchell facts for kids
Mitchell in 2019
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| University of West Georgia Wolves | |
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| Position: | Running backs coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 15, 1959 Saint Marys, Georgia, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight: | 188 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Camden County (Kingsland, Georgia) |
| College: | The Citadel |
| NFL Draft: | 1981 / Round: 9 / Pick: 226 |
| Career history | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Career: | 14–42 (college) |
| Player stats at PFR | |
Lyvonia Albert "Stump" Mitchell was born on March 15, 1959. He is an American football coach and a former player. Currently, he works as the running backs coach for the West Georgia Wolves.
Before this, he was the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL). He also served as a head football coach for Morgan State University from 1996 to 1998. Later, he coached Southern University from 2010 to 2012. His total college coaching record was 14 wins and 42 losses. Mitchell played college football at The Citadel. The St. Louis Cardinals drafted him into the NFL. He played as a running back and return specialist for the Cardinals from 1981 to 1989.
Growing Up and College Football
Mitchell started his football journey at Camden County High School in Camden County, Georgia. He then played college football for The Citadel. He holds school records for the most rushing yards in a single season (1,647) and in his entire college career (4,062).
He was a starting tailback for three years. He was chosen twice for the All-Southern Conference team. In 1980, during his senior year, he was the second-best rusher in NCAA Division I-A. Only Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers rushed for more yards. Mitchell was named a Third-Team Associated Press All-American. He also earned the titles of Southern Conference Player of the Year and South Carolina Amateur Athlete of the Year.
Mitchell also competed in track and field at The Citadel. In 1981, he achieved a long jump of 23 feet 3 inches.
Playing in the NFL
The St. Louis Cardinals picked Mitchell in the ninth round of the 1981 NFL draft. He was the 226th player chosen overall. Mitchell was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 188 pounds. He played as a running back for the Cardinals from 1981 to 1989.
He finished his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1990. He made a short return to football in 1993 with the Arizona Rattlers in the Arena Football League. His best year as a professional player was in 1985. That season, he ran for 1,006 yards and scored seven touchdowns. He also gained 502 yards and scored three touchdowns as a receiver.
In his 10 NFL seasons, he ran the ball 986 times for 4,647 yards. He scored 32 touchdowns. He has the second-most all-purpose yards in Cardinals team history, with 11,985 yards. Only Larry Fitzgerald has more.
Coaching Football
Mitchell started his coaching career at Casa Grande Union High School in Casa Grande, Arizona. He was the head coach there from 1993 to 1994. From 1996 to 1998, he was the head coach at Morgan State University. His record there was 8 wins and 24 losses.
He then became the running backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to 2007. In 2008, new head coach Jim Zorn brought him to the Washington Redskins staff. There, he was both the running backs coach and Assistant Head Coach.
On January 11, 2010, Mitchell became the head coach at Southern University. In his first season, Southern had a 2-9 record. In 2011, the team finished with a 4-7 record. The 2012 season started with a big loss to the New Mexico Lobos. After another loss, Mitchell was moved to a different role at the university. His time as Southern's head coach ended after 24 games, with a 6-18 overall record.
In 2013, Mitchell joined the Arizona Cardinals as the running backs coach. He stayed with the team for four seasons, leaving in January 2017. In February 2017, he was hired as the running backs coach for the New York Jets. In 2019, Mitchell joined the Cleveland Browns as their running backs coach. He kept this job even when the Browns got a new head coach the next season. On January 17, 2024, after a playoff loss to the Houston Texans, Browns' head coach Kevin Stefanski let Mitchell go.
Personal Life
Mitchell is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. His older brother gave him the nickname "Stump." This was because he was never afraid to play with kids who were bigger than him.
