On This Date in Sports November 15, 1959: Mitchell Breaks Loose
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Bobby Mitchell emerges out of Jim Brown’s shadow to rush for 232 yards as the Cleveland Browns beat the Washington Redskins 31-17 at Griffith Stadium. A 90-yard touchdown run sparks Mitchell’s record-setting game in the first quarter. It was one of three touchdowns that Bobby Mitchell would score for Cleveland. Johnny Olszewski of the Redskins nearly matched Mitchell rushing for 190 yards in a losing effort.
The Browns of the late 50s were one of the top teams in the NFL, thanks to the running of Jim Brown, who was the league’s most dominant player. In a nine-year career, Brown led the NFL in rushing eight times, rushing for 942 yards or more in each of those seasons. Playing in the same backfield as Jim Brown was Bobby Mitchell, a two-way weapon, who later in his career, became one of the league’s top pass catchers.
Bobby Mitchell was born June 6, 1935, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. An excellent multisport athlete, Mitchell turned down a contract to play baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals to play football at the University of Illinois. At Illinois had an 84-yard touchdown reception, attracting NFL scouts as the Cleveland Browns chose him in the seventh round. Mitchell’s rookie season was highlighted by a 98-yard kickoff return against the Washington Redskins.
Facing the Washington Redskins at Griffith Stadium, the Browns coached by Paul Brown were battling the New York Giants for the Eastern Conference, as they held a record of 4-2. The Redskins were struggling under coach Mike Nixon, holding a record of 3-4 just past the midpoint of the season. Keying on stopping Jim Brown, was the strategy of every team that faced Cleveland, but it was Bobby Mitchell that gashed them early, running for 90-yards the longest run in franchise history to build an early 7-0 lead. The Browns would later make it 14-0 as Milt Plum connected with Ray Renfro on a 39-yard touchdown pass. With the running of Johnny Olszewski, the Redskins got back in the game with a touchdown at the end of the first quarter and another in the second the game was tied at the half 14-14. Olszewski would rush for 190 yards for the Redskins, scoring in the second quarter.
The Browns regained control of the game in the third quarter as Lou Groza had a 35-yard field goal, and Bobby Mitchell ran in a five-yard touchdown run. The Redskins would get a field goal from Sam Baker, as they had trouble getting the ball in the end zone. Mitchell would add a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give Cleveland a 31-17 victory. Bobby Mitchell ended the game with 232 yards on 14 carries, while the Redskins limited Jim Brown to 90 yards on 16 carries.
The Browns would struggle down the stretch, finishing with a record of 7-5, while the Redskins did not win a game the rest of the season, finishing 3-9. Bobby Mitchell always seemed to put up big numbers against the Redskins. In 1962, Washington fixed that by acquiring him in a trade for the first overall draft pick. Mitchell would become the first African American to play for the Redskins, becoming a Hall of Fame receiver.