Editor’s note: In the final 50 days before Chip Kelly and the Ducks return to the field to defend their status as Pac-12 Champions, the Emerald sports desk will take a look back at one Oregon alum each day whose jersey number corresponds to the amount of days left before the season opener against Arkansas State.
Kevin Mitchell led the Oregon defense on the field from 2001 to 2003 from the middle linebacker position, pacing Oregon in tackles all three years. Mitchell continues to have his statistics over three years rank among the best in the history of the program.
In those three seasons, Mitchell averaged 110 tackles per year, leading the team in 2003 with 112. His career marks for total tackles and tackles for loss still rank in the top 10 of the Oregon record books. For his efforts, Mitchell earned All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention in 2001, and second-team All-Pac-10 status for his 2002 and 2003 campaigns.
Mitchell was well respected as a team leader during his time on the Oregon roster, with coaches and players both at Oregon and around the conference taking note.
“I wish we could just clone him and replace him,” said Mike Bellotti, then the head coach of the Ducks.
“There is no one like Kevin Mitchell playing football in college,” said then-Arizona head coach John Mackovic. “He is one of those players who, if I was a regular fan, he would be a favorite of mine.”
Kevin Mitchell highlights:
