Influential African American Athletes I Am A Fan Of The...

While researching influential African American athletes, I came across Bobby Mitchell. I choose him not only because of his great influence on and off the field, but because I am a fan of the Washington Redskins. Robert â€Å"Bobby† Cornelius Mitchell was the first African- American to play football for the Washington Redskins. Bobby Mitchell was born on June 6, 1935 in Hot Springs, Arkansas to his parents Reverend Albert Mitchell and Avis Mitchell. Not much was mentioned about his childhood, however High school is when Mitchell began playing football. He attended Langston High School in Hot Springs and went on to become a four-sport standout. Mr. Mitchell was blessed with so much great athletic talents that the local media began recognizing†¦show more content†¦He even made the â€Å"All Big Ten† football team. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to allow anything to get him down. Because of his time in the 100 and 200 yard dash, in addition to being on the football team Mitchell was also placed onto the â€Å"All Big Ten† track team. After his senior year, it was no surprise that Mitchell was selected to play on the College All-Star team. This team played against the National Football League champs, The Detroit lions. The All-star team beat the NFL team by sixteen points. Mitchell and the then quarterback Jim Ninowski from Michigan State University were both voted MVP. After these major accomplishments, Bobby was drafted to the Cleveland Browns. They offered him $7,000 to play. Of course, Mitchell was awarded rookie of the year. Mitchell had a successful time with the Browns, the Browns traded him to the Redskins at the end of the 1961 season. There his position was changed from pass catcher to flanker, also known as wide receiver. He gathered in seventy-two passes for a total receiving yardage of 1,384 yards and scored eleven touchdowns. He ran for a combined season total of 1,794 yards. He continued to excel until his retirement in 1969. Mitchell didn’t stop there. He went on to become a Redskins scout followed by assistant general manager. In 1983, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In addition, Mitchell is also a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and has received local