Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 1, 1993 TAG: 9308010162
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CARLISLE, PA. LENGTH: Medium
Actually, the change brought optimism to the fourth-year pro. Not long after Gibbs left and longtime defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon was named head coach, the Redskins said their retooled offense would primarily use a two-back set.
"I thought, `Well, maybe I'll get a chance now. . . .maybe,' " Mitchell said.
Mitchell isn't just getting a chance. He's getting a chance to start, something he never did in his first three NFL seasons. He's going to be the back with most of the ball-toting responsibility in coordinator Rod Dowhower's plans, as NFL veteran Earnest Byner shifts to fullback.
"All you can do is work hard and hope something like this happens," Mitchell said. "People always thought of me as a special-teams player. That's great, but what was most difficult was trying to win the coaches' confidence.
"I never thought they had confidence in me as a ball carrier because what they saw in me was a quarterback."
That's what Mitchell was at Southwestern Louisiana, where he became the first player in NCAA Division I history to pass for more than 5,000 yards and rush for more than 3,000. He also held the NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with 47. Mitchell even filled in at QB for one series as a rookie when Stan Humphries and Jeff Rutledge were injured in a game at Philadelphia in 1990.
Mitchell finally was given an opportunity in the backfield in the playoffs when Gibbs decided the Redskins needed more speed. Byner was hobbled - but still started - and Ricky Ervins was finishing a disappointing season after running like anything but a rookie in 1991.
In the NFC wild-card game at Minnesota, Mitchell produced 209 all-purpose yards, including 109 on the ground. In the second-round loss to San Francisco, Mitchell again was the Redskins' primary rusher. However, with Gibbs using a one-back attack and Byner and Ervins returning this season, Mitchell figured his opportunity was little better than it had been before the playoffs, especially with the veteran coach's longstanding policy of sticking with veteran players.
Now, Byner will be a blocker and receiver and Ervins' opportunity to become the rushing star has been diminished by his camp holdout. Rookie Reggie Brooks and third-year pro Robert Green, a former William and Mary star, are Mitchell's backups.
"Once the coaching change was made, I wondered if I needed to go in and talk to the coaches," said Mitchell, 25. "Then I decided I'd let my actions speak for me - what I had done in the playoffs and what I could do here in training camp. It wasn't my mouth that was going to put me where I should be."
Mitchell's three career punt returns for scores are a club record, and he led Washington's kick-coverage teams last season with 23 tackles. As a starting back, however, his special-teams days could be history.
"Just because I set a goal to play more than special teams doesn't mean I think I shouldn't play there," Mitchell said. "How can anyone think that. [Linebacker] Andre Collins has been a starter for three years, but he still plays special teams. Monte Coleman has been playing linebacker here for 14 years, and he's still playing special teams.
"If they want me to play special teams, I'll be out there, and I'll still hit people as hard as I can.
"Whether I'm in the backfield now is pretty much up to how I play. I'm kind of shocked Ricky is holding out, considering the situation with the two-back situation. But he has to do what he thinks is right for him. I'm just glad I'm in the right place at the right time."
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB