Bobby Mitchell, former Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins star, dies at 84

Former Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins star Bobby Mitchell, one of the premier offensive players of his era, died Sunday afternoon, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced. He was 84. 

"The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Bobby Mitchell," Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker said in a statement. "The Game lost a true legend today. Bobby was an incredible player, a talented executive and a real gentleman to everyone with whom he worked or competed against. His wife Gwen and their entire family remain in our thoughts and prayers. The Hall of Fame will forever keep his legacy alive to serve as inspiration to future generations."

Mitchell, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who excelled at two different positions, played four seasons for the Browns before he was part of one of the most famous trades in NFL history. The swap to the Redskins also meant a position change for Mitchell, who played flanker in Washington and led the NFL in receiving yards in his first two seasons with the team. 

Mitchell was traded to the Redskins after the team selected Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ernie Davis out of Syracuse with the No. 1 pick in the 1962 draft. The Browns – with aspirations of a dream backfield featuring Davis and Jim Brown – dealt Mitchell and their first-round pick, Leroy Jackson, to the Redskins.

When he took the field in 1962, Mitchell was among the first black players to play for the Redskins. The team was the last in the NFL to integrate.  

In the 1960s, the Redskins featured one of the league's most prolific offenses. Mitchell was joined on the team by Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen and receiver Charley Taylor. The team also featured one of the league's best tight ends, Jerry Smith. In 1967, as Jurgensen led the NFL in passing, Taylor, Smith and Mitchell finished first, second and fourth, respectively, in the NFL in receptions.

By 1967, Mitchell was in his second-to-last NFL season. Mitchell played one more season before retiring as the NFL's second-leading all-purpose yardage leader behind only Brown. Mitchell, who played college football at Illinois, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

Following his retirement as a player, Mitchell transitioned into the personnel department with the Redskins, at the request of then-head coach Vince Lombardi, and remained with the team for the next 34 years.

"I was extremely saddened to hear the news about the passing of the great Bobby Mitchell. Bobby was a Hall of Fame player and executive and represented the Washington Redskins organization with integrity for over 50 years," Redskins owner Daniel Synder said in a statement released by the team. "His passion for the game of football was unmatched by anyone I have ever met. Not only was he one of the most influential individuals in franchise history, but he was also one of the greatest men I have ever known.

"He was a true class act and will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Gwen and the entire Mitchell family during this time."