Lydell Mitchell

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Lydell Mitchell

Date of birth	May 30, 1949
Place of birth	Salem, New Jersey
Position(s)	Running Back
College	Penn State
NFL Draft	1972 / Round 2
Pro Bowls	1975, 1976, 1977
Awards	College Football Hall of Fame
Statistics	Pro Football Reference DatabaseFootball
Team(s)
1972-1977 1978-1979 1980	Baltimore Colts San Diego Chargers Los Angeles Rams
College Hall-of-Fame

Lydell Douglas Mitchell (born May 30, 1949 in Salem, New Jersey) is a former American football player. He played running back in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers & Los Angeles Rams spanning 1972-1980.

[edit] Football

Mitchell was taken in the 2nd Round of the 1972 NFL Draft out of Penn State University by the Colts with the 48th Overall Selection. Mitchell was a teammate of Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers while at Penn State. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

Mitchell established himself in the mid 1970's as one of the best all around running backs in the NFL. Mitchell, along with teammate Bert Jones, propelled the Baltimore Colts to 3 consecutive AFC East Division Titles, unseating a powerhouse Miami Dolphins team that had topped the Division for 4 straight years (1971-'74).

Mitchell topped the 1,000 yard rushing plateau for 3 consecutive seasons (1975-'77) earning Pro Bowl honors each year. In addition to his rushing exploits, he twice led the NFL in Pass Receptions, in 1974 & 1977. Mitchell was named 2nd Team All-Pro in 1976 & 1977 as well as being named 2nd Team All-AFC following the 1975 campaign.

After his successful run in Baltimore, he was dealt to the San Diego Chargers after the 1977 season. Mitchell turned in a solid season in 1978 with the Dan Fouts-led Chargers and finished his career in 1980 appearing in 2 games with the Los Angeles Rams.

[edit] Personal

Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education from Penn State University in 1972.

He lives in Baltimore, Maryland where he and his Nittany Lion teammate Franco Harris own Super Bakery, a company that produces nutrition-oriented foods for schoolchildren. He and Harris also partnered to rescue the Parks Sausage Company in Baltimore, the first publicly held black-owned business in the United States. Mitchell is also active in lecturing students on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Mitchell is a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.