The Detroit Lions community is mourning the loss of former Lions defensive lineman Jim Mitchell, who passed away at the age of 77 on June 20. 

Tributes have come from former teammates, friends, and now a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Doug English, who was a teammate of Mitchell for three years after he joined in 1975, opened up about Mitchell after his passing.

“He was a great mentor,” English shared with Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press. “Obviously, rookies need good examples of how to prepare mentally and physically and just how to approach the game at that level, and he was a great example.”

Mitchell had attended Virginia State University and was selected in the third round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Lions. Mitchell then went on to have 101 appearances with 67 of them being starts during his eight seasons in the league with the Lions. He was a dependable presence in Detroit’s defensive front, which helped them record their only appearance in the postseason for the Lions during the ‘70s in his rookie year.

His 18 sacks across 101 games made him a reliable pass-rusher, with a career-best five in 1972, as per Pro Football Reference. This is because the NFL did not make sacks an official stat until 1982.

After retiring in 1977, Mitchell became an auto dealer, joining Ford's dealer development program. He also owned car dealerships in his native Virginia. He was also appointed by the governor’s office to be a part of the Virginia Motor Vehicle Dealer Board.

English's statement via the Detroit Free Press was not the only homage to Mitchell. Another former Lions star also paid his respects.

A Teammate's tribute: Johnson remembers Mitchell's work ethic

Levi Johnson was a member of the 1969 and 1970 national championship teams and an AP first-team All-American in 1971 during his collegiate years at Texas A&M - Kingsville.

The defensive back was then selected in the third round of the 1973 NFL Draft and was a teammate of Mitchell until the latter’s retirement. He also reminisced about his times with Mitchell.

“He was just relentless,” said Johnson via the Detroit Free Press article. “His motor was always going, and he’s the kind of guy you wanted to be a teammate with on and off the field. I hate that he’s gone.”

Johnson started 57 of his 59 games and had 21 interceptions with 549 yards and returned three interceptions for touchdowns in his five-year career, according to Pro Football Reference. He was also selected by Lions players as the Lions Defensive Most Valuable Player in 1974.

Rest in peace, Jim Mitchell.

We sincerely send our condolences to his family and friends.

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi