View source for Derrell Mitchell

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1971)}}
{{Infobox gridiron football person
| name = Derrell Mitchell
| image = 2023, Derrell Mitchell.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Mitchell in 2023
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|9|16|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Miami, Florida]], U.S. 
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| number = 
| import = Yes
| position1 = [[Wide receiver]]
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 9
| weight_lb = 190
| high_school = [[Miami Northwestern Senior High School|Miami Northwestern]]<br>([[Miami, Florida]])
| college = [[Texas Tech University|Texas Tech]]
| NFLDraftedYear = 1994
| NFLDraftedRound = 6
| NFLDraftedPick = 176
| NFLDraftedTeam = [[New Orleans Saints]]
| coaching_team1 = [[Edmonton Eskimos]] ([[Wide receiver|Receiver]] Assistant)
| coaching_years1 = {{CFL Year|2011}}
| coaching_team2 = Edmonton Eskimos ([[Wide receivers coach|WR coach]])
| coaching_years2 = {{CFL Year|2012}}
| playing_years1 = 1994
| playing_team1 = [[New Orleans Saints]]
| playing_years2 = 1995
| playing_team2 = [[Scottish Claymores]]
| playing_years3 = 1996<ref>{{cite book |title=Bears 1999 Media Guide |page=126 |url=https://www.retroseasons.com/library/chicago-bears-media-guide/1999-01-01/ |access-date=9 October 2024}}</ref>
| playing_team3 = [[Atlanta Falcons]]*
| playing_years4 = {{CFL Year|1997}}–{{CFL Year|1998}}
| playing_team4 = [[Toronto Argonauts]]
| playing_years5 = 1999
| playing_team5 = [[Chicago Bears]]*
| playing_years6 = {{CFL Year|1999}}–{{CFL Year|2003}}
| playing_team6 = [[Toronto Argonauts]]
| playing_years7 = {{CFL Year|2004}}–{{CFL Year|2006}}
| playing_team7 = [[Edmonton Eskimos]]
| playing_years8 = {{CFL Year|2007}}
| playing_team8 = Toronto Argonauts
| career_highlights = 
* 2× [[Grey Cup]] champion ([[85th Grey Cup|1997]], [[93rd Grey Cup|2005]])
* [[CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award]] ({{CFL Year|1997}})
* [[Frank M. Gibson Trophy]] ({{CFL Year|1997}})
* Most pass receptions in a CFL season (160 in {{CFL Year|1998}})
| CFLAllStar = {{CFL Year|1997}}, {{CFL Year|1998}}, {{CFL Year|2000}}
| CFLEastAllStar = {{CFL Year|1997}}, {{CFL Year|1998}}, {{CFL Year|2000}}, {{CFL Year|2001}}, {{CFL Year|2002}}
| CFL = 54
| NFL = MIT216230
| CFHOF = derrell-mookie-mitchell
| CFHOFYear = 2016
| career_footnotes = <nowiki/>*Offseason and/or practice squad member only

}}
'''Derrell Lavoice "Mookie" Mitchell'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sandbox.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MitcDe00.htm |title=Derrell Mitchell NFL & AFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=December 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715113604/http://sandbox.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MitcDe00.htm |archive-date=July 15, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (born September 16, 1971) is a former [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL) [[slotback]] with the [[Toronto Argonauts]] and [[Edmonton Eskimos]] and former [[wide receivers coach]] for the [[Edmonton Eskimos]].

==Junior college career==
Mitchell attended [[Joliet Junior College]]. As a [[wiktionary:sophomore|sophomore]], he was an [[NJCAA]] second-team [[All-American]] pick, and was his league's co-Player of the Year.

==College career==
After a stellar career at Joliet Junior College, Mitchell transferred to [[Texas Tech Red Raiders|Texas Tech]]. He finished his two-year [[NCAA]] [[college football]] career with 91 receptions for 1312 yards (14.42 yards per rec. avg.) and 9 touchdowns.

==World League career==
Mitchell spent the [[1995 NFL season|1995 season]] with the [[Scottish Claymores]] of the [[World League of American Football]], having been allocated there by the [[New Orleans Saints]], catching 11 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown.

==CFL career==
Mitchell signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the [[Canadian Football League|CFL]] in 1997 and immediately made a mark in the league with close to 1,500 yards and 17 TD's receiving in his first season in the league, going on to win the 1997 [[CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award]]. Days later, Mitchell and the Argonauts went on to win the [[85th Grey Cup|Grey Cup]] in [[Edmonton, Alberta]]. In 1998, he took his game one step forward catching a CFL-record 160 receptions for 2,000 yards. After a failed tryout in the [[National Football League]] in 1999, Mitchell returned to the Argos and consistently put up 1,000-yard or close to 1,000-yard seasons.

In 2004, he was released by the Argonauts, and was promptly signed by the [[Edmonton Eskimos]] who he helped win the [[93rd Grey Cup|2005 Grey Cup]] a season later. Mitchell was eventually released by Edmonton on June 23, 2007.  On July 2, 2007, Mitchell rejoined the Argonauts by signing a practice agreement with the team.  On July 11, 2007, he was put on the active roster in time for a game against the [[Calgary Stampeders]] the following day and scored a touchdown in his first game back with the Argonauts.  On July 26, 2007, Mitchell set a new Argonaut record for career receiving yards after catching a pass from [[Damon Allen]] in a home game against the [[Montreal Alouettes]], surpassing former record holder [[Paul Masotti]]'s 8772 receiving yards.  On October 27, 2007, Mitchell surpassed 12,000 career receiving yards in the CFL against the [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]].

He was released by the Argonauts on March 20, 2008.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.cfl.ca/index.php?module=newser&func=display&nid=23293| title=Argos release Mookie| date=March 20, 2008| publisher=CFL.ca}}</ref>

On November 27, 2015, it was announced that Derrell "Mookie" Mitchell had been selected for enshrinement into the [[Canadian Football Hall of Fame]] with the Hall of Fame's Class of 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cfhof.ca/members/derrell-mookie-mitchell/|title = Derrell "Mookie" Mitchell}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/mitchell-brown-among-selections-for-canadian-football-hof-induction-1.400645|title = Mitchell, Brown among selections for Canadian Football HOF induction - TSN.ca|date = November 27, 2015}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
On January 20, 2012, it was announced that Mitchell had joined the [[Edmonton Eskimos]]' coaching staff as the team's [[wide receivers coach]].<ref>http://www.esks.com/article/eskimos-announce-2012-coaching-staff {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122222415/http://www.esks.com/article/eskimos-announce-2012-coaching-staff |date=January 22, 2012 }} Eskimos announce 2012 coaching staff</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Saints1994DraftPicks}}
{{CFL MORs}}
{{CFL receiving yardage leaders}}
{{85th Grey Cup}}
{{93rd Grey Cup}}
{{Canadian Football Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Derrell}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football wide receivers]]
[[Category:Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Canadian Football League Rookie of the Year Award winners]]
[[Category:Canadian football slotbacks]]
[[Category:Canadian football wide receivers]]
[[Category:Edmonton Elks players]]
[[Category:New Orleans Saints players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Miami]]
[[Category:Scottish Claymores players]]
[[Category:Miami Northwestern Senior High School alumni]]
[[Category:Texas Tech Red Raiders football players]]
[[Category:Toronto Argonauts players]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Miami]]