The only thing Brian Mitchell loves more than a round of golf is 36 holes. The torrential rain didn’t inhibit his recent double-header at the Country Club of Woodmore. The former Washington Redskins still relishes competition.
“You’re competing against yourself,” he said, “but I get out there with friends. We talk back and forth and they love it.”
Mitchell hosts the Melwood Prince George’s County Open on Thursday at Woodmore. The Redskins greatest special teams player ever is now a regular on the charity circuit, promoting the Red Cross, American Heart Association, March of Dimes and others.
“The more people see what Brian Mitchell does, the more I can do for the community,” he said. “My parents gave me this type of spirit to be givers.”
It has been nine years since the Redskins unceremoniously cut Mitchell so they could afford Deion Sanders. Mitchell was among the last links to the franchise’s glory days, earning a Super Bowl ring in his second season. After nine years in Washington, he spent three seasons with Philadelphia and one with the New York Giants. Mitchell chose his Washington roots over returning home to Louisiana after retiring in 2004.
“It’s cool to still be around, still be liked by people and still have people want me to be involved,” he said. “Listening to my kids and the opportunities they had here and the support of people here even after I left, why not come back?”
Mitchell has become a frank analyst for local television and radio, though recently losing the latter when his contract wasn’t renewed. That was too bad because his blowup with Redskins running back Clinton Portis last fall was a classic dustup between two hard-headed runners.
“I’ve learned you can’t always say what people want to hear,” he said. “You have to say what you believe and I’ve had fans get upset when I say something, but by the end of the year they agree with me. Clinton got mad at me, but did he run better?”
Mitchell says he’s not the Redskins-hater that critics claim.
“I am a Redskins fan,” he said. “They gave me the life I have today. I just want to see guys give all I did. That’s the hard part for former players. We want them to live up to our standards and a lot of them can’t.”
Indeed, during their careers and afterwards.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail [email protected].
