Mitchell, "Bobby" (Robert C.)
Football
b. June 6, 1935, Hot Springs, AR
Mitchell was a running back at the University of Illinois and in his first three NFL seasons, with the Cleveland Browns. The 6-foot-0, 195-pounder had sprinter speed and was a threat to score every time he touched the ball. He had a 98-yard kickoff return as a rookie in 1958 and the following year he returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown and had 232 yards rushing in one game.
The Browns traded him to the Washington Redskins in 1962 for the draft rights to Ernie Davis of Syracuse University. Mitchell became the first black star for Washington, the last NFL team to be integrated.
Moved to wide receiver, Mitchell led the league in receptions with 72 and reception yardage with 1,384 yards in his first season with the Redskins. He caught 58 or more passes each of the next five years. Mitchell retired after catching only 14 passes in 1968.
An All-Pro in 1962 and 1964, Mitchell played in four Pro Bowls. During his career, he caught 521 passes for 7,954 yards, a 15.3 average, and 65 touchdowns; rushed 513 times for 2,735 yards, a 5.3 average, and 18 touchdowns; returned 102 kickoffs for 2,690 yards, a 26.4 average, and 5 touchdowns; and ran back 69 punts for 699 yards, a 10.1 average, and 3 touchdowns.