Tag: Bobby Mitchell

Commanders season opener in 49 days: Washington’s best No. 49

49 days until Week 1, honoring the great Bobby Mitchell.

Commanders Wire continues a countdown to the Commanders season opener for 2023 in 49 days. Who was Washington’s best player wearing number 49?

There have only been nine players to have worn No. 49 in Washington NFL history. You see, when Bobby Mitchell, the Hall of Fame receiver for the Browns and then Redskins retired just prior to the 1969 season, No. 49 was then unofficially made off-limits.

It was not until 2002 that TE Leonard Stephens was given the jersey No. 49. Stephens only appeared in five games, catching only one pass. According to Mitchell, some close to him, as family and friends, were very upset about Stephens having been given the jersey number.

Steve Spurrier was coach at the time, and understandably, no one in the front office had made it clear to him what some of the retired numbers were that were “unofficially” retired.  When it was brought to his attention, Spurrier apologized, and the team issued a statement of apology.

Mitchell is no doubt the greatest player to wear No. 49 for Washington.  He spent seven seasons with Washington (1962-68) following his four seasons with the Browns (1958-61). When injury forced his retirement, Mitchell had been a Pro Bowler for the Browns (1960) and for the Redskins (1962, 1963, 1964). He was All-Pro 1st team (1962) and All-Pro 2nd team (1964).

Mitchell was the 1962 NFL leader in receptions (72), reception yardage (1,384), and reception yards per game (98.9). The following season he was the NFL leader in reception yardage (1,436) and reception yards per game (102.6). In 1964 his ten touchdown receptions led the NFL.

Mitchell was voted as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins in 2002, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 1983 class with Sonny Jurgensen, worked in the Redskins personnel department beginning in 1969, and was named assistant General Manager to Bobby Beathard in 1981 and Charley Casserly in 1990.

Mitchell was too often referred to as the first black player in Redskins history. That is not technically correct. Actually, in 1962 for the season opener, Washington had three black players on their squad: Mitchell, Leroy Jackson and John Nisby.

Even more, Mitchell did not like that designation defining him. In Mark Maske’s fine story in 2003 Mitchell made it clear he wanted to be known more as a great NFL player.

“I have to live with people always talking about me as the first black player against all my exploits,” Mitchell said. “I’ve always been very upset that people always start with that. I don’t want to hear that, and yet I have to hear it constantly and it overshadows everything I’ve done in the game.”

Mitchell retired in 2003 after 41 seasons with Washington as a player, scout and front-office executive. The franchise officially has now retired Mitchell’s No. 49. Mitchell died on April 5, 2020, at age 84.

Best NFL player to wear each jersey number: How many Washington players were picked?

Five former Washington players were named the greatest ever to wear their respective jersey number.

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When you think of the greatest players in Washington’s NFL franchise history, which dates back to 1932, which players first come to your mind?

Sammy Baugh is arguably the greatest player in franchise history. He played 16 NFL seasons, all with Washington. He was the quarterback, punter and safety, a two-time NFL champion, and won numerous individual awards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Unfortunately for Baugh, he last played in 1952, so many casual fans have never heard of Baugh. However, most know Baugh from his iconic jersey number: No. 33. For years, Baugh’s No. 33 jersey was the only one retired by Washington.

How popular was Baugh’s jersey? Check out hip-hop icon Jay-Z wearing Baugh’s No. 33 jersey back in 2001 in the music video for his hit song, “Girls, Girls, Girls.”

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire recently named the best NFL player to wear each jersey number. Baugh won the title for No. 33.

What other Washington icons made the cut?

Of course, No. 44 belongs to John “Diesel” Riggins, the Hall of Fame running back who played nine seasons for Washington and was the MVP of Super Bowl XVII.

Former Washington running back Stephen Davis was named the best to ever wear No. 48. While the pickings were slimmer for No. 48, Davis did have a solid career, playing seven of his 11 NFL seasons with Washington.

The No. 49 pick was easy. Bobby Mitchell is one of only four Washington players to have his jersey retired by the franchise. Unfortunately, it took far too long for that to happen. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and also enjoyed a long career as a front-office executive for Washington. Mitchell is a true Washington icon.

Bruce Smith made his name with the Buffalo Bills, but he broke the NFL sack record when he was a member of the Washington franchise. He spent the final four seasons of his NFL career with Washington.

If you notice legendary Washington players, such as Darrell Green and Art Monk, missing, they made the honorable mention list for their respective jersey numbers.

The following Washington players received honorable mention for their jersey numbers:

Chris Hanburger, Green, London Fletcher, Adrian Peterson, Russ Grimm, Mark Schlereth, Trent Williams, Monk, Gary Clark, Santana Moss, Clinton Portis and Ryan Kerrigan.

Ranking the top 25 players in NFL history

Did any Washington players make the list?

With the passing of Hall-of-Fame running back Jim Brown, CBS Sports decided to compile their list of the top 25 players in NFL history.

Did any of the former Washington football greats make the all-time top 25 list?

Four former Washington players have had their jersey numbers retired but only one, Sammy Baugh, might be considered as a candidate to make the all-time top 25 list. The others with jerseys retired are Hall of Famers Sonny Jurgensen and Bobby Mitchell. Also, the soon-to-be-former Washington owner Dan Snyder determined to retire the jersey of Sean Taylor, who was tragically murdered during the fourth season of his young career.

As you might have already discerned, no Washington player was voted onto the CBS Sports All-Time Top 25 in NFL History.

Here is the list of the top 25. And if you go here to the original list, you will find a brief description that they provided of each player as to why he made their list.

One thing that remains true, there is no objective way to even construct such a list. So don’t get upset about it. Simply acknowledge it for what it is… a list that results from subjective voting.

25. Bruce Matthews, OL (1983-2001)

24. Night Train Lane, DB (1948-1961)

23. Emlem Tunnell, DB (1948-1961)

22. Don Hutson, WR (1935-1945)

21. Tony Gonzalez, TE (1997-2013)

20. Gale Sayers, RB (1965-1971)

19. Rod Woodson, DB (1987-2003)

18. Alan Page, DT (1967-1981

17. Anthony Munoz, LT (1980-1992)

16. Emmitt Smith, RB (1990-2004)

15. Randy Moss, WR (1998-2010, 2012)

14. Joe Greene, DT (1969-1981)

13. Dan Marino, QB (1983-1999)

12. Aaron Donald, DT (2014-present)

11. Johnny Unitas, QB (1956-1973)

10. Joe Montana, QB (1979-1994)

9. Ray Lewis, LB (1996-2012)

8. Barry Sanders, RB (1989-1998)

7. Reggie White, DE (1985-1998, 2000)

6. Lawrence Taylor, LB (1981-1993)

5. Peyton Manning, QB (1998-2015)

4. Walter Payton, RB (1975-1987)

3. Jim Brown, RB (1957-1965)

2. Jerry Rice, WR (1985-04)

1. Tom Brady, QB (2000-2022)

Washington to honor late Bobby Mitchell with No. 49 patches on jersey

The Washington Football Team will wear No. 49 patches on their jerseys this year to honor the late Bobby Mitchell, who died in April.

After the passing of Washington great Bobby Mitchell, the Washington Football Team announced on Friday that they would be wearing a No. 49 patch to honor the former franchise legend in their game against the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, and it will continue throughout the 2020 season as well.

This isn’t the first thing that Washington has done to honor Mitchell, who passed away on April 5th of this year. The team announced earlier this offseason that they would be retiring Mitchell’s number, as well as naming the lower bowl of seats after him at FedEx Field in Landover, MD. Mitchell is only the second player in Washington history to have his number retired, alongside Sammy Baugh, who wore No. 33.

Mitchell was the franchise’s first Black player after the organization was the last to integrate in 1962. After spending the first four years of his career with the Cleveland Browns, Mitchell was traded to D.C. in 1962 along with Leroy Jackson for Ernie Davis.

Mitchell led the league in receiving in 1962 and 1963 and receptions in ’62. He was named to four Pro Bowls, three with Washington from 1962 through 1964, and was a first-team All-Pro in ’62, when he hauled in 72 catches for 1,382 yards and 11 scores.

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Washington announces it is retiring Bobby Mitchell’s No. 49

Washington is retiring Bobby Mitchell’s No. 49

Bobby Mitchell’s No. 49 will join Sammy Baugh’s No. 33 as numbers retired by Washington, the team announced Saturday.

Mitchell, who came to the team from Cleveland and was the first African-American to play for Washington, will also have the lower bowl of Fedex Field named in his memory.

“There is no one more deserving of these honors than the late Bobby Mitchell,” Washington owner Daniel Snyder said in a statement. “Bobby was one of the most influential players not only in our team’s history, but in the National Football League. He excelled on the field, in the front office and most importantly in his community where he had a tremendous impact on the lives of so many through his charitable efforts. He was one of the greatest men I have ever known.”

Mitchell led the league in receiving in 1962 and 1963 and receptions in ’62. He was named to four Pro Bowls, three with Washington from 1962-64, and was a first-team All-Pro in ’62, when he hauled in 72 catches for 1,382 yards and 11 scores. Mitchell retired after the 1968 season with 1,034 touches, 10,689 yards from scrimmage and 83 total TDs. An electric return man, Mitchell also scored eight TDs on punt and kick returns during his career.

He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

Mitchell passed away April 5 of this year.

“This honor would have meant the world to him,” Mitchell’s daughter, Terri, said in a statement. “He would have been thrilled, appreciative and humbled. He felt that the retiring of a jersey is the ultimate recognition of an athlete. My father was a great family man who would have embraced this well-deserved recognition of his many accomplishments.”

Redskins retire number of Bobby Mitchell, remove George Preston Marshall name from stadium

The Redskins retired Bobby Mitchell’s No. 49, the first black player in team history, and renamed the lower bowl at Fed Ex field after him.

Just a day after the controversial George Preston Marshall memorial was removed from in front of the Washington Redskins RFK stadium, the team has announced more changes to better fit today’s culture of tolerance and understanding for minorities and people of color.

According to ESPN’s John Keim, the Redskins have moved to retired the jersey of former player Bobby Mitchell, who was the first African-American player to join the Redskins. They are also renaming the lower bowl at Fed Ex Field after Mitchell. It was previously named after the aforementioned George Preston Marshall, a historically racist team owner in Washington who fought against integration in the NFL for years.

The Redskins are retiring Bobby Mitchell’s number, per source, and will re-name the lower bowl at FedEx Field in his name – replacing that of former owner George Preston Marshall. Mitchell, who wore No. 49, was the first African American to play for Washington. He played for the Redskins from 1962-68 and then worked in their front office until retiring after the 2002 season. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1983. The Redskins had previously retired one number: Sammy Baugh’s 33.

These changes are all necessary and good, but it’s hard to feel like they will mean much until something is done about the Redskins name that multitudes of people have been calling for to change for years now. With the way the ball is currently rolling, Dan Snyder is likely feeling the pressure to change it, especially with the Mayor of Washington D.C. saying that the team would be unable to build a new stadium in the District unless a name change came.

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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.

Redskins legend and HOF flanker Bobby Mitchell passes away at the age of 84

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Sunday that Mitchell, who was 84, passed away on Sunday.

The Pro Football Hall of fame has announced that former Washington Redskins great Bobby Mitchell has passed away on Sunday, April 5th, at the age of 84.

Mitchell was a flanker who played for the Redskins from 1962-1968, and he served as an executive for the team from 1969-2002. In his time on the field, Mitchell was one of the best to play the position, being named to four Pro Bowls, and winning three Super Bowl Championships with the Redskins. Mitchell’s name has been inducted into both the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame, and the Cleveland Browns Ring of Fame.

Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

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