Jim Mitchell (tight end)
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Shelbyville, Tennessee, U.S.
Shelbyville, Tennessee, U.S.
 Mitchell in 1972 | |||||||||
| No. 86 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | October 19, 1947 Shelbyville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | October 20, 2007 (aged 60) Shelbyville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 234 lb (106 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Harris (Shelbyville) | ||||||||
| College | Prairie View A&M (1965–1968) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1969: 4th round, 81st overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
James Robert Mitchell (October 19, 1947 – October 20, 2007) was an American professional football player who was a tight end for 11 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League (NFL).[1] He was selected as a member of the Pro Bowl following his 1969 rookie season and again in 1972.
Jim Mitchell was born October 19, 1947, in Shelbyville, Tennessee .
Mitchell attended Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas, where he was a two sport athlete. An all-conference split end on the football team, Mitchell also pitched and played first base for the school baseball team.[2]
Mitchell was drafted in the 4th round of the 1969 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, who made him the 81st pick of the draft. During his rookie season the big tight end caught 22 passes for 339 yards, scoring 4 touchdowns—sufficient to win him a place on the 1969 Pro Bowl team.[3]
He nearly doubled his production during his second season with the team, catching 44 balls for 650 yards and 6 touchdowns.[2] Although the Falcons were a poor team in these years, Mitchell emerged as an offensive star and team leader and he was named captain of the Falcons offense in 1971.[2]
Mitchell was again named to the NFL Pro Bowl team in 1972.[2]
After leaving the NFL, Mitchell coached football at Morehouse College and Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, supporting the tradition of college football at historically black colleges and universities.
Mitchell died on October 20, 2007, in Shelbyville, Tennessee, at the age of 60.[4]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1969 | ATL | 14 | 14 | 22 | 339 | 15.4 | 42 | 4 |
| 1970 | ATL | 14 | 14 | 44 | 650 | 14.8 | 51 | 6 |
| 1971 | ATL | 13 | 13 | 33 | 593 | 18.0 | 43 | 5 |
| 1972 | ATL | 14 | 14 | 28 | 470 | 16.8 | 40 | 4 |
| 1973 | ATL | 14 | 14 | 32 | 420 | 13.1 | 50 | 0 |
| 1974 | ATL | 14 | 14 | 30 | 479 | 16.0 | 52 | 1 |
| 1975 | ATL | 14 | 14 | 34 | 536 | 15.8 | 32 | 4 |
| 1976 | ATL | 14 | 14 | 17 | 209 | 12.3 | 39 | 0 |
| 1977 | ATL | 12 | 12 | 17 | 178 | 10.5 | 17 | 0 |
| 1978 | ATL | 16 | 16 | 32 | 366 | 11.4 | 24 | 2 |
| 1979 | ATL | 16 | 16 | 16 | 118 | 7.4 | 14 | 2 |
| 155 | 155 | 305 | 4,358 | 14.3 | 52 | 28 | ||
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1978 | ATL | 2 | 2 | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 19 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 19 | 1 | ||