Keith Mitchell, a former New Orleans Saints linebacker and Pro Bowl selection, has died at 51, according to a report from KBTX-TV in Bryan, Texas.
Mitchell arrived in New Orleans in 1997 as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M and carved out a long run with the Saints. He developed into a starter and also made his mark as a special teams standout.
His peak came in 2000, when he was a key piece for a Saints team that won the NFC West Division title and earned the first playoff victory in franchise history. In New Orleans’ 31-28 win over the St. Louis Rams in the NFC Wild Card playoffs, Mitchell recorded three tackles and a sack of Rams quarterback Kurt Warner.
Over five seasons with the Saints from 1997 to 2001, Mitchell finished with 272 solo tackles, including 20 tackles for loss. That 2000 season also featured two huge defensive scores: a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 21-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals and a 90-yard fumble return for a touchdown in a 20-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Mitchell is one of just eight linebackers in Saints franchise history to make the Pro Bowl. He later spent one season each with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars to close out his NFL career.
Before the NFL, Mitchell was part of Texas A&M’s famed “Wrecking Crew” defense from 1993-96. He earned All-Southwest Conference honors in 1995, then was an All-Big 12 selection and College Football News All-America selection in 1996.
In Other News...
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Josh Pate has already pointed to the Week 3 trip to SMU as one of the most important games on Louisvilles schedule, and it is easy to see why. Both programs are being talked about as ACC contenders, and the winner will leave that early-season meeting with a far clearer path through the league, especially with the rest of the schedule offering its own opportunities to separate from the pack. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Keeps Climbing But This Ranking Still Feels Too Low
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CBS Sports is buying into the upside, slotting Louisville at No. 14 in its early preseason rankings, which feels more like a nod to the ceiling than a verdict on where this team belongs. Adrian Wooley is part of the reason for the optimism, and the transfer haul gives the Cardinals a chance to look much deeper and more versatile than they did a year ago. The only real question now is whether the national perception will keep catching up to the talent Louisville has assembled. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Is Suddenly In A Much Bigger ACC Conversation
Jeff Brohm has Louisville in a place it has not occupied all that often entering a season: in the thick of the ACC race before a snap has been played. The Cardinals open with Ole Miss in Week 1, and the broader view around the program has shifted quickly thanks to a busy offseason that brought in Lincoln Kienholz at quarterback and a wave of transfer additions meant to accelerate the climb.
The betting market has noticed, too, with Louisville sitting near the top tier of the conference conversation behind Miami and SMU. The schedule helps fuel that optimism, since the Cardinals avoid Miami, Clemson and Virginia, and get SMU and Pitt at home, but the first few weeks could tell the real story. With SMU waiting in Week 3 and a roster still being sorted out after 32 transfers, Louisville is suddenly carrying the kind of expectations that make September feel a lot bigger. [Read more 🡒]