In the 2008 draft, the Oakland Raiders spent a second round pick on a free safety out of Ohio University who had been virtually unknown by scouts and analysts across football. That guy turned out to be Mike Mitchell who turned out to be quite coveted as a few teams actually had him on their radar as a second or third round draft choice.
Mike Mitchell Becoming Key On Defense
After a four season tenure in Oakland and a brief one season stop in Carolina, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a splash in free agency before the 2014 season by signing free safety Mitchell to a five year, $25 million contract. He was replacing Ryan Clark who had recently signed with the Washington Redskins.
Out of the gate, Steeler Nation’s expectations for Mitchell were high and for good reason. They had expected a lot out of him after watching Clark and strong safety Troy Polamalu terrorize opposing quarterbacks for years.
Early Stages In The Black and Gold
His first season put a lot of doubt in the minds of Steelers faithful as to whether or not Mitchell’s contract had been a mistake. He seemed to be a step slow after a nagging hamstring injury that he’d played through most of the season. He vowed that he would improve the in 2015 and did he ever.
Under a new defensive coordinator in Keith Butler, Mitchell was fully healthy in last season’s campaign and put up some nice numbers. He posted a career-high in combined tackles (80) and pass deflections (nine) and tied his career high in forced fumbles (two). He added three interceptions to post one of his best season’s in an NFL uniform.
Becoming An Important Leader
Flash forward to 2016, Mitchell’s third season in the black and gold and it’s safe to say he’s as much a leader on defense as anyone on that side of the ball.
The obvious weekly improvement defensively has shocked many people not only in Pittsburgh but around the league. This defense was next to hopeless entering the season but the youthful rejuvenation along with the veteran savvy mixed in has this team carrying a swagger any resurgent playoff team would beckon.
Mitchell’s hard-hitting, confident attitude has rubbed off on his fellow secondary members and they’re producing at a high rate.
Here is a quote from Mitchell to Mark Kaboly of DK on Pittsburgh Sports right before the Steelers current five game winning streak began:
“When we aren’t getting the results that we want, everybody is going to have an opinion or something to say…One of the best things that Troy Polamalu said to me, and it has stuck with me, is that you are never as good as they say you are and never as bad as they say you are…You’re not in here working with us, you don’t know what is going on. Those opinions – damn those.”
That type of bravado from a guy who has played almost three full seasons in a Steelers uniform is something that has become synonymous with the rest of the guys. They’re all tuning out the noise that comes from outside the locker room and playing at the level they know they all can. It’s a great attitude for youngsters such as cornerback Artie Burns and strong safety Sean Davis to inherit.
His 65 total tackles on the season are third on the team behind linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier. He’s playing at a high level and no longer proves as a liability in the secondary.
Many fans still see him as a guy concerned only with hitting his opponent hard and leaving his mark on the game.
Mike Mitchell has transformed into an exact embodiment of what the Steelers defense wants to become. One solid, confident, above average unit that plays within the rules and can contribute to the winning of football games. His younger counterparts are beginning to gravitate towards him which makes him an indelible part of the team.
