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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1971-02-01)February 1, 1971 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | April 30, 2007(2007-04-30) (aged 36) Ashburn, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 258 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Harrisburg (PA) | ||||||||
| College | Syracuse | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1994: 2nd round, 53rd overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Kevin Danyelle Mitchell (January 1, 1971 – April 30, 2007) was an American professionalfootballlinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL) fromHarrisburg, Pennsylvania. He played for theSan Francisco 49ers,New Orleans Saints, andWashington Redskins.
Mitchell playedcollege football atSyracuse University as adefensive tackle. He was the Defensive MVP of the1993 Fiesta Bowl upset ofColorado where Mitchell had eighttackles, including six behind theline of scrimmage.
Mitchell was selected in the1994 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round with the 53rd overall pick.[1] He wonSuper Bowl XXIX in hisrookie season with the 49ers. He played three more seasons with the 49ers. He signed with the New Orleans Saints after the1997 NFL season. He played with the Saints for two seasons. Mitchell joined the Washington Redskins after the1999 NFL season and played for them until after the2003 NFL season.
Mitchell's best season came in2001 NFL season when he recorded 82 tackles (69 solo), 2sacks, and one forcedfumble in 13 games.[2]
In his career, he recorded 300 tackles (243 solo), 6.5 sacks, twointerceptions for seven yards, four forcedfumbles, one fumble recovery, and sixpass deflections in 144regular season games.
| Year | Team | Game | Combined Tackles | Tackles | Assisted Tackles | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Fumble Recoveries | Fumble Return Yards | Interceptions | Interception Return Yards | Yards per Interception Return | Longest Interception Return | Interceptions Returned for Touchdown | Passes Defended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | SF | 16 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | SF | 15 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | SF | 12 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997 | SF | 16 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | NO | 8 | 45 | 23 | 22 | 2.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1999 | NO | 16 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | WSH | 16 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2001 | WSH | 13 | 81 | 68 | 13 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | WSH | 16 | 35 | 26 | 9 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 | WSH | 16 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 144 | 227 | 170 | 57 | 6.5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
On April 30, 2007, Mitchell was found dead in his sleep inAshburn, Virginia. According to a preliminaryautopsy, he died of a massiveheart attack.[4]
Friends and family close to Mitchell said the cause of death was related tosleep apnea.[citation needed]