Bobby Mitchell

Position | Halfback / Flanker

Born | Hot Springs, Arkansas

Date-of-Birth | June 6, 1935

Died | April 5, 2020 (age 84)

Height | 6’0″

Weight | 192 lbs

College | Illinois

NFL Career | 11 seasons Teams | Cleveland Browns 1958-1961, Washington Redskins 1962-1968

Career Highlights

• First Black player to sign with and play for the Washington Redskins (1962)
• Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee (1983)
• Finished career second all-time in combined net yards (14,078) at time of retirement
• Led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 1962; led receiving yards again in 1963
• Tied NFL record with a 99-yard touchdown reception (1963, vs. Cleveland)
• Washington Redskins Ring of Fame
• No. 49 retired by the Washington franchise (2020)
• Spent over 40 years in the Redskins’ front office after retiring as a player

Awards

• 4x Pro Bowl (1960 as RB with Cleveland; 1962, 1963, 1966 as WR with Washington)
• 3x First-team All-Pro
• 2x Second-team All-Pro

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Bobby Mitchell Broke Washington’s Last Barrier, Then Built Its Future

Bobby Mitchell never asked to make history. He just wanted to play football. In 1962, he did both at once, becoming the first Black player to sign with the Washington Redskins — the final team in the NFL to integrate.

From Arkansas to the Big Ten

Mitchell grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas, starring in football, basketball, track, and baseball at Langston High School, where locals nicknamed him “Mr. Touchdown.”

He chose the University of Illinois over several offers, and by his sophomore year he’d become a legitimate track star, setting a world indoor record in the 70-yard low hurdles in 1958.

The Cleveland Browns drafted him in the seventh round that same year, pairing him in the backfield with Jim Brown to form one of the most dangerous running back duos football had ever seen.

The Trade Washington Didn’t Want to Make

Owner George Preston Marshall had resisted integrating his roster for three decades, even as every other NFL team moved on. That ended only under direct pressure from the federal government: Washington’s stadium sat on federal land, and Interior Secretary Stewart Udall told Marshall the team would lose its lease unless it integrated. Washington drafted Ernie Davis with the No. 1 pick in 1962, then traded his rights to Cleveland for Mitchell after Davis refused to play for the team.

Mitchell later called the move to Washington “life-altering.” He and teammates John Nisby and Leroy Jackson broke the color barrier together that season, and Mitchell endured open hostility doing it — he recalled being spat on and hearing racial slurs during his early years in the city.

He pushed back against being remembered only for that fact. “I’ve always been very upset that people always start with that,” he said in a 2003 interview.

Flanker in Washington

On the field, Mitchell was as good as anyone in football. The dynamic playmaker had blazing speed and versatility.

Washington moved him from halfback to flanker, and never looked back. He led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in his very first season with Washington. He led the league in yards again in 1963 — including a 99-yard touchdown catch against his former Cleveland team that tied an NFL record. It still stands tied for the franchise record as well.

Record Numbers

In that 1963 season, he led the entire league in receiving yards with 1436 yards. That was a very lofty number for a time when there were only 14 games per season. The 102.9 yards per game also led the league.

At the time, only one player in NFL history had ever had more yards in a season – Elroy Hirsch had 195 in 1952. As a matter of fact, Mitchell had 1384 yards in 1962, which was 2nd all-time at the time. So Mitchell had two of the three highest receiving yards per season at the time.

That total was not surpassed for over 30 years, when Roy Green had 1555 yards for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984.

When Bobby Mitchell retired after the 1968 season with 7,954 receiving yards, he ranked 5th all-time in NFL history in career receiving yards. Incredible given that he spent his first four seasons with Cleveland as a running back.

He was named first-team All-Pro three times and made four Pro Bowls in his career – one at running back and three at flanker. Has anyone else ever done that?

Mitchell scored an amazing 91 touchdowns – 18 rushing, 65 receiving, 3 on punt returns, and 5 on kickoff returns.

Life After Football

Mitchell’s impact on Washington didn’t end when he retired in 1968. He joined the front office as a scout under new head coach Vince Lombardi and spent the next four decades in the organization, eventually rising to assistant general manager.

Former Redskins running back Brian Mitchell, no relation, credited him with a simple outlook. “Tough times don’t remain, tough people do,” Brian Mitchell said of him.

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

He died in 2020 at age 84.

Washington retired his No. 49 later that year — a fitting final honor for the man who opened the door for every Black player who’s worn the burgundy and gold since.

Career Statistics

G = Games played, Rec = Receptions, Yds = Receiving yards, Y/R = Yards per reception, TD = Receiving touchdowns, Rush Yds = Rushing yards. Mitchell also scored 18 rushing touchdowns over his career (513 carries), primarily during his Cleveland years as Jim Brown’s backfield partner. Stats via Pro Football Reference.

Notes:

Mitchell trailed only Pete Pihos, Billy Howton, Tom Fears, and Bobby Walstonin career receiving yards when he retired.

I wasn’t able to find anyone else in NFL history that had made the Pro Bowl both as a running back and a wide receiver, but I couldn’t verify it either so left it more open-ended Hit me up on X if you know of someone else who has accomplished the feat.