Bobby Mitchell
Mitchell with the Cleveland Browns in 1959 | |||||||||||||||||||
| No. 49 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Born: | June 6, 1935 Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Died: | April 5, 2020 (aged 84) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
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| High school: | Langston (Hot Springs) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Illinois (1954–1957) | ||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1958: 7th round, 84th pick | ||||||||||||||||||
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Robert Cornelius Mitchell (June 6, 1935 – April 5, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a halfback and wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and professionally for the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins. In 1962 he was the first black player to sign with the Redskins, who were the last NFL team to racially integrate.
After his playing career, Mitchell became an executive with Washington. He joined their scouting department in 1969 and was named assistant general manager in 1981, spending over 40 years with the team in total before retiring in 2002. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and had his jersey number 49 retired by the team following his death in 2020.