Bobby Mitchell

Robert Cornelius Mitchell (Seetebosigo a le malatsi marataro, 1935-Moranang a le malatsi matlhano, 2000) e ne e le motshameki wa kgwele ya seAmerika (American football) o neng a tshameka kwa morago (halfback) le mo letlhakoreng (flanker) mo National Football League a tshamekela ditlhopha tsa Cleveland Browns le Washington Redskins. Mitchell o ne a nna motshameki wa ntlha wa letso la African-American go tshamekela Redskins fa a tsena mo setlhopheng seo ka 1962, fa ba nna setlhopha sa bofelo sa NFL go kopanya batshameki (intergrate). O tlhophilwe gane go tsena mo Pro Bowl, a tsenngwa mo Pro Football Hall of Fame ka 1983.

Botshelo jwa Pele

Mitchell o tsholetswe kwa Hot Springs, Arkansas, mme a tsena sekolo kwa Langston High School. Koo, o tshamekile kgwele ya seAmerika (high school football), basketball, le mabelo (track), o ne a itse baseball thata mo eleng gore o ne a fiwa konteraka ke ba St. Louis Cardinals.

Tiro ya kgwele ya Mmadikole

Go na le go tshameka professional baseball, Mitchell o ne a ikgetlhela go tsena kwa University of Illinois kwa Urbana-Champaign, sekolo se a se tlhophileng gareng ga dikolo tse dintsi tse di neng di bata go mo fa scholarship. O tshamekile kgwele ya mmadikole (college football) a tshamekela Illinois Fighting Illini ebile a nna le ngwaga wa bobedi o montle thata. Fa setlha sa 1955 se simologa, o ne a le kwa morago ga ga Harry Jefferson yo o neng a le mo ngwageng wa boraro,mo depth chart. Metshameko e le supa go tsena mo setlheng, Jefferson o ne a wa ka kgobalo, mme Mitchell a tsaa maemo a gagwe a halfback. Nako ya ntlha fa a tshwara kgwele, o ne a taboga dikgato tse 64 go dira touchdown. Le fa a tsene mo karolong ya boraro ya motshameko, Mitchell o ne a gapa dikgato tse 173 mo go tshwareng tse lesome, ka jalo Illini ya sulafatsa Michigan e e neng e le mo maemong a boraro ka 25-6. O ne a gapa dikgato di feta lekgolo mo metshamekong ya bobedi ya bofelo ya setlha seo, fa ne a tshameka ele motshameka morago (defensive back). Ngwaga o o, o ne a dira rekote ya dikgato tse 8.6 kgomogo nngwe le nngwe.

Mo ngwageng wa gagwe wa boraro ka 1956, Mitchell o ne a sa tshameke thata ka lebaka la kgobalo ya lengole. Ka setlha sa gagwe sa bofelo (senior season), o ne a laletswa go ya go tshameka kwa motshamekong wa College All-Star Game, mo a ileng a pota motshameka morago (defensive back), James David a se na go kapa tlhago ya dikgato tse 84 a bo a dira touchdown, o ne gape a nosa tlhago ya dikgato tse lesome le boferabobedi e neng e tswa kwa go Jim Ninowski. Setlhopha sa All-Stars se ne sa sulafatsa sa Detroit Lions ka dintlha di le 35-19, mme Mitchell le Ninowski ba pataganela tlotla ya motshameki yo o gaisitseng (MVP). Mitchell o ne a bidiwa mo setlhopheng sa ntlha sa All-Big Ten football ka 1955 le setlhopha sa maemo a bobedi ka 1957. O ne a bidiwa kwa Pigskin Club Honor Roll ke ba Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C.

Mitchell o ne a attlegile thata le mo go tsa mabelo. Ka Tlhakole wa 1958, o ne baya rekote ya lefatshe ya mabala a moteng (e e tsereng malatsi a le marataro hela) ka go tshwara mmaraka wa 7.7 mo 70-yard low hurdles. Kwa metshamekong ya Big Ten, o ne a nosa dintlha tse lesome le boraro mme a thusa Illinois go nna bommampodi. Mitchell o ne a sa itse gore a o batla go tsena mo tirong ya kgwele ya seAmerika kana a ye kwa go tsa mabelo. le fa metshameko ya 1960 Summer Olympics e ne e santse e le kgakala ka dingwaga tse pedi, o ne a eleditse go phadisana mo setlhopheng sa Amerika. Mme, mokatisi mogolo wa Browns, Paul Brown o ne a mmapaletsa go mo duela $7,000 ka setlha sa gagwe sa ntlha mme Mitchell a dumela go tshameka kgwele ta seAmerika go na le go tsenelela metshameko ya Olympics.

Tiro ya NFL

Cleveland Browns (1958–1961)

Mitchell o ne a tlhophiwa (drafted) mo tikologong ya bosupa ka 1958 NFL Draft ke setlhopha sa Cleveland Browns, kwa a neng a tshameka kwa morago (halfback). O ne a tshamekisiwa le Jim Brown go fa Browns nngwe ya dikopano tse di atlegileng thata tsa batshameka morago (running back) go tswa ka 1958 go ema ka 1961.

Fa a le mosha, Mitchell o ne a nna le ditlhago tsa kickoff return tsa dikgato tse 98. Ngwaga o o latelang kgatlhanong le Washington, o ne a kgomoga dikgato di ka nna 232, go balelwa le tshiano e bonakonako ya dikgato tse 90. Mo ngwageng o ne o o, o ne a busa punt mo dikgatong tse 78 kgatlhanong le New York Giants. O ne a bona tlhopho ya gagwe ya ntlha ya Pro Bowl ka 1960.

Fa a tshamekela Brown, Mitchell o ne a kgobokanya dikgato tse 2297 a kgomoga, dikgato tse 1463 a amogela ditlhago, dikgato tse 607 a busa punt, dikgato tse 1550 a dira ditlhago tsa kickoff return, a nosa di touchdown di le masome a mararo le boferabobedi. O kile a nna ene a tshwereng rekote ya Browns ya kickoff returns tsa di touchdown, gompieno o tshwere go kgomoga (rushing) mo go gaisang ga motshameki wa setlha sa ntlha (6.3 ka 1958).

Washington Redskins (1962–1968)

Washington Redskins ka nako e neng ba le ka fa tlase ga kgatelelo ya U.S. federal government go re ba tlhakanye (integrate) setlhopha sa bone, ba ne ba tlhopha Ernie Davis ele ene motlhophiwa wa ntlha palogotlhe ka 1962 NFL Draft. Monnga Redskins George Preston Marshall, a tsentswe tsebe-tsebe ke kgonagalo ya gore Davis a batle madi a mantsi, a rekisa ditshwanelo tsa gagwe a di rekisetsa Cleveland Browns a tsaa Mitchell le motlhophiwa wa ntlha Leroy Jackson. Ka go tlhokakitso ga ga ope ka nako ya ditlhopho tseo, Davis o ne a na le bolwetsi jwa leukemia, mme o ne a tlhokafala a ise a ko a dire tiro ya gagwe ya go tshameka kgwele ya seAmerika.

Mitchell, e ne le John Nisby le Ron Hatcher, e ne ele mongwe wa batshameki ba mmala o montsho ba Redskins ka 1962, ka setlhopha e nnile sone sa bofelo sa kgwele ya seAmerika go tlhakana. Bill McPeak, mo ngwageng wa gagwe wa ntlha e le mokatisi mogolo, ka bonako a bua gore Mitchell e tla nna motshameki wa ka fa tlhakoreng (flanker). Mo motshamekong wa gagwe wa ntlha kwa Washington, Mitchell o ne a taboga dikgato tse 92 go dira kickoff return kgatlhanong le Dallas Cowboys. Redskins e ne ya fetsa setlha seo ka rekote ya 5-7-2, rekote ya bone e ntle mo dingwageng tse tlhano. Mitchell o ne a eteletse liki ka dikamogelo tse masome a supa le bobedi le dikgato tse 1384 ebile a beilwe mo maemong a boraro ka di touchdown di le lesome le bongwe. O ne a tlhophiwa go ya kwa Pro Bowl ya ntlha mo go tse tharo di latelelanang.

Ka 1963, Mitchell o ne a dira di kamogelo tsa ditlhago di le masome a marataro le boferabongwe mo dikgatong tse 1436 le di touchdown tse dingwe tse supa. Mo setlheng seo, o ne a nna motshameki wa bobedi mo liking le mo ditsong tsa setlhopha go dira tlhago ya dikgato tse masome a ferabongwe le boferabongwe (99-yard pass play). Tlhago yeo e ne e tswa kwa go George Izo e ne e le tlhago ya dikgato tse masome a ferabongwe le boferabongwe ya ntlha mo dingwageng di feta masome a mabedi le boraro, fa Frank Flichock le Andy Farkas ba Redskins ba baya rekote ya ntlha ka Phalane e tlhola lesome le botlhano, 1939. Mo dingwageng tse nne tse di latelang, Mitchell o ne a amogela ditlhago tse 60, 60, 58, le 60. Ka 1967, mokatisi mogolo yo mosha Otto Graham a tlhopha go fudusetsa Mitchell gape ko go tshamekeng kwa morago (halfback) ka gore Graham o ne a tsaya tshwetso mo ngwageng o o neng o feta ya go fudusa motshameka morago (running back) wa tlhwatlhwa , Charley Taylor go ya go nna moamogedi wa ditlhago (wide receiver). Mitchell o ne a atlega go se go nene fa a tabogisa kgwele mme o ne a tshwara ditlhago tse masome a marataro mo dikgatong tsa 866 le di touchdown tse thataro.

Ka 1969, Vince Lombardi o ne a nna mokatisi mogolo mme a solofetsa Mitchell go re o taa boela kwa go tshamekeng kwa letlhakore (flanker). Mme fa kampa ya ikatiso (training camp) e ntse e tsweletse, Mitchell a lemoga fa a sa tlhole a tshameka jaaka pele mme o ne a tlhopha go tlogela tiro.

Mo ditlheng tsa gagwe tsa ntlha tse thataro le Redskins, Mitchell o ne a ka seke a tshwara ditlhago tse di kwa tlase ga masome a matlhano le boferabobedi. Fa a tlogela go tshameka, dikgato tsa gagwe tse dikopantsweng tse 14,078 di ne tsa mmaya mo maemong a bobedi kwa godimo ka kakaretso mo ditsong tsa NFL. O ne a nosa di touchdown tse 91 (tse lesome le boferabobedi e le tsa go kgomoga (rushing), 65 a di amogela, tse tharo e le tsa go busa punt, le tse tlhano a dira tlhago ya kickoff return). O ne a kgobokanya dikgato tse 7,954 mo kamogelong le dikgato tse 2,735 tsa go kgomoga (rushes). O ne a tlhophiwa go tsena mo Pro Football Hall of Fame ka 1983.

Thomas Boswell wa Washington Post fa a kwala tebogo ya ga Mitchell morago ga loso la gagwe: " Fa e le four-way threat-a siana ka kgwele go tswa kwa morago, a tshwara ditlhago e le moamogedi wa ditlhago le fa a busa di tlhago tsa kickoff le punt-Mitchell o pharologanyo. Ga gona motshameki o okileng a nna ko godimo mo dikarolong tsotlhe ka bone. Mitchell ke senepe sa setlhopha a le mongwe...Ke mang motshameki wa NFL yo o nang le dikogmogo di feta makgolo a matlhano le dikamogelo di le makgolo a matlhano, a dira dikgato di feta botlhano fa a tshwere kgwele (5.3) le dikgato di feta lesome le botlhano fa a kapa (15.3)? Bobby Mitchell."

Ka Seetebosigo a tlhola masome a mabedi ka ngwaga wa 2020, Washington Redskins e ne ya bua fa e tla ntsha nomore ya gagwe, #49 mo go tshamekeng. E ne e le motshameki wa bobedi fela wa setlhopha seo yo nomore ya gagwe e neng ya ntshiwa, e ne le Sammy Baugh ya #33.

Tiro ya gagwe ya ofisi (1969–2003)

Fa a sena go tlogela tiro ya gagwe ya kgwele ya seAmerika ka 1968, Mitchell o ne a nna kwa Redskins, e le ka kopo ya mokatisi mogolo (head coach) wa nako yeo Vince Lombardi, e le mokanoki mogolo (pro scout). O ne a palamela go fitlhelela e nna mothusa motsamaisi mogolo (general manager) , o ne a eletsa go nna motsamaisi mogolo wa ntlha wa NFL wa motho montsho. Ka 1978, monnga Washington Edward Bennett Williams a tlola Mitchell mo maemong a GM mme a tsenya Bobby Beathard.Mitchell a tlogela tiro ka 2003, a bua fa a utlwile botlhoko that ka fa Jack Kent Cooke a mo tlodileng ka teng mme a fa Charley Casserly botsamaisi bogolo ka 1989 le ka tshwetso ya mokatisi Steve Spurrier go busetsa nomore ya gagwe ya No. 49 mo lebaleng, e e neng e sanke e ntshiwa dingwaga le fa e ne e sa ntshiwa (retired) mo tshamekong, a e fa Leonard Stephens mo setlheng seo.

Fa ele motshameki le pereko ya gagwe ya ofisi, Mitchell o ntse dingwaga tse masome a mane le bongwe kwa Redskins.

Botshelo jwa gagwe

Mitchell o ne a nna kwa Washington, D.C., le mosadi wa gagwe, Gwen, yo e leng mmueledi. Ba na le bana ba le babedi e bong Robert Jr. le Terri.

Go simologa ka 1980, Mitchell o ne a tshwara Bobby Mitchell Hall of Fame Classic, e le metshameko ya golofo ya go kokoanya madi go thusa ba Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Mitchell gape o berekile mo mekgatlhong e tshwana United Negro College Fund, Howard University Cancer Research Advisory Committee, American Lung Association ya D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission, Boys Club of Washington, National Urban League, NAACP, Junior Chamber of Commerce, University of Illinois Presidents Council le University of Illinois Foundation.

Mitchell o tlhokafetse a le dingwaga tse masome a ferabobedi le bone ka Moranang a tlhola ga tlhano ka ngwaga wa 2020.