Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell dies at 84

Bobby Mitchell, who helped integrate the Washington Redskins as part of a Pro Football Hall of Fame career, died at age 84.

Bobby Mitchell, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who was the first African-American player to sign with the Washington Redskins, died Sunday at the age of 84.

Enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1983, Mitchell was a dominant player with exceptional speed, balance, and agility. His 11 seasons in the National Football League were split between the Cleveland Browns (1958-1961) as a halfback and the Washington Redskins (1962-68) as a flanker. Mitchell was named All-NFL three times and played in four Pro Bowls.

The following is a statement from Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker:

“The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Bobby Mitchell. The Game lost a true legend today. Bobby was an incredible player, a talented executive and a real gentleman to everyone with whom he worked or competed against. His wife Gwen and their entire family remain in our thoughts and prayers. The Hall of Fame will forever keep his legacy alive to serve as inspiration to future generations.”

Mitchell played college football at Illinois. He was a seventh-round selection in the 1958 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He was teamed with Jim Brown to give the Browns one of the most successful running back combinations in the league.

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 run. Overall, as a Brown, Mitchell accumulated 2,297 yards rushing, 1,463 yards receiving, 607 yards on punt returns, 1,550 yards on kickoff returns, and scored 38 touchdowns.

Under pressure to integrate the team by the Washington Post and the federal government of the United States, the Washington Redskins drafted Syracuse’s Ernie Davis with the first overall pick of the 1962 NFL Draft. But in mid-December, Washington owner George Preston Marshall announced that on the day of the draft he had secretly traded the rights to Davis to the Cleveland Browns for Mitchell and first-round draft pick Leroy Jackson.

Unbeknownst to anyone at the time of the draft, Davis had leukemia and died without ever playing a down in professional football. 

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During his first six seasons with the Redskins, Mitchell never caught fewer than 58 passes. When he retired, his 14,078 combined net yards was the second-highest total in NFL history. He had also scored 91 touchdowns (18 by rushing, 65 on receptions, three on punt returns, and five on kickoff returns). He amassed 7,954 yards on receptions and 2,735 yards on rushes. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

“I was extremely saddened to hear the news about the passing of the great Bobby Mitchell. Bobby was a Hall of Fame player and executive and represented the Washington Redskins organization with integrity for over 50 years,” team owner Daniel Snyder said in a statement. “His passion for the game of football was unmatched by anyone I have ever met. Not only was he one of the most influential individuals in franchise history, but he was also one of the greatest men I have ever known. He was a true class act and will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Gwen and the entire Mitchell family during this time.”

The Hall of Fame flag on the Museum’s campus will be flown at half-staff in Mitchell’s memory.