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Top 10 NFL careers by an Illinois football player

By Rees Woodcock

Sept. 11, 2005; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end #97 Simeon Rice is all smiles after his team scores late in the fourth quarter to insure their win over the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. Tampa Bay wins 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2005 Bruce Kluckhohn
Sept. 11, 2005; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end #97 Simeon Rice is all smiles after his team scores late in the fourth quarter to insure their win over the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. Tampa Bay wins 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2005 Bruce Kluckhohn /
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Unknown date and location; Washington Redskins flanker #49 Bobby Mitchell runs against the Cleveland Browns. Mitchell had 14,078 combined net yards, second in NFL history, and scored 91 touchdowns during his 11-year Hall of Fame career. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports copyright (c) Malcolm Emmons
Unknown date and location; Washington Redskins flanker #49 Bobby Mitchell runs against the Cleveland Browns. Mitchell had 14,078 combined net yards, second in NFL history, and scored 91 touchdowns during his 11-year Hall of Fame career. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports copyright (c) Malcolm Emmons /

No. 3 Bobby Mitchell

The NFL wasn’t a passing game in the 1960s, but Bobby Mitchell stood out as one of the best players on the offensive side of the ball.

Mitchell joined the Illinois football program out of Langston High School in Arkansas. He was a great athlete, as he was also a track star at Illinois. Mitchell would be an All-Big Ten player for the Illini in 1955 and 1957. His great play got him noticed by NFL teams.

The Cleveland Browns took a liking to what Mitchell had to offer, and they would end up picking him in the seventh round of the 1958 NFL Draft.

Mitchell would continue to blossom as a player in the NFL. He would finish his career with 7,954 yards receiving and 65 touchdowns. He was also dynamic on the ground, amassing 2,735 rushing yards in his NFL career.

Two of Mitchell’s best years came in 1962 and 1963 where he had 1,384 yards and 1,436 yards receiving, respectively. His great numbers earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl in 1960, 1962, 1963, and 1964. Mitchell was also an All-Pro in 1962.

The pinnacle of Mitchell’s career came in 1983, though. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. This is an honor not many Illinois football players have earned. Being a great player and earning all of the accolades is great, but making it to the NFL Hall of Fame is on another level. Mitchell checks in as the No. 3 NFL career by an Illinois football player.

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