The Washington Football Team announced they will honor Hall of Fame wide receiver Bobby Mitchell by wearing a jersey patch of his number 49. Mitchell died on April 5 at the age of 84.
Mitchell became Washington’s first Black player after the team acquired him in a trade from the Cleveland Browns in 1962. Washington was the last team in the NFL to integrate after team founder George Preston Marshall faced immense pressure from the U.S. federal government.
Mitchell spent seven seasons with Washington before retiring before the 1969 season. He finished his 11-year career with 14,078 all-purpose yards and 91 touchdowns. He remained with the franchise moving into the front office as a pro scout before working his way to assistant general manager.
In all, Mitchell spent 41 years with the organization from 1962-2003 as a player and front office executive.
The jersey patch is the latest of a series of gestures by the Washington Football Team to honor one of their all-time greats.
In June, the team officially retired his No. 49. He is just the second player in the franchise’s history to have his jersey retired. The team also renamed the lower level of FedEx Field after Mitchell, removing Marshall’s name.
