Brian Mitchell was born the youngest of seven kids to parents in a small town in Louisiana. They were far from wealthy. His dad had a 20-year Army career and then worked as a chef. So believe Brian when he says that he was excited and thought he’d made it to the top when he was drafted by the Washington Redskins and started to earn some serious money.
A lot of his peers were equally excited. For lots of them, they suddenly had more income then than they’d ever dreamed of before. Most of them weren’t used to having a big income and didn’t know how to manage their finances.
Brian is proud to say that he always tried to keep his feet on the ground. Even though he was playing well and hoped to have a long career in the NFL (and he did!), he knew it wouldn’t last forever. In fact, one of the realities of pro football is that you never know when a career-ending injury might get you.
Brian’s understanding that he’d want and need another career after his time in the NFL was over influenced his behavior in a number of ways. For one thing, he always tried to treat people well because he always considered the possibility that someday he’d be asking them for something. For another, he managed his money responsibly.
Today, Brian has a successful radio and television career and he’s proud to say that he doesn’t live off the money he made during his time in the NFL.
After a career spanning fourteen seasons, Brian Mitchell is the NFL’s second all-time leader in total yardage, second only to Jerry Rice. While he was with the NFL, Mitchell saw mistakes his fellow players were making with regard to their futures. Now he speaks with groups of athletes—current players, retired players, and aspiring players—and offers guidance about how to manage their reputations and their finances so that they too can have long and successful careers. If you’re interested in booking Mitchell to talk with a group, email him at [email protected].