Former Baltimore Ravens defensive back Anthony Mitchell got his start in the NFL as an undrafted free agent when the Ravens signed him in 1999.
Anthony Mitchell’s son Keaton Mitchell hopes to follow the same path. The Ravens signed the former East Carolina running back following the 2023 NFL Draft.
“It’s something a lot of kids wish for, playing for a team that their dad played for,” Keaton Mitchell said on Glenn Clark Radio May 1. “I’m glad to be in Baltimore. I’m glad to be able to finish out my dad’s legacy.”
The elder Mitchell is known for scoring a touchdown in Baltimore’s AFC divisional round game against the Tennessee Titans after Keith Washington blocked his second field goal of the game. That broke a 10-10 tie in the fourth quarter. The Ravens defeated the Titans, 24-10, and went on to win the Super Bowl a few weeks later.
Keaton Mitchell, born in 2002, has no memory of his dad’s contributions to the Ravens’ first Super Bowl run, but he remembers hearing all about it.
“My dad loved telling us the story [to me and my brother] and we were like, ‘I don’t believe this and that,'” Mitchell said. “He finally showed us the video, we found it on YouTube and I’m like, ‘Dang.’ … He loves Baltimore.”
After playing in Baltimore for three seasons, Anthony Mitchell spent one season in Jacksonville and two more seasons in Cincinnati before retiring following the 2005 season.
In just three years at East Carolina, the younger Mitchell ranks third all-time in program history in rushing yards (3,027). He also broke the record for most consecutive 100-yard rushing games with seven in 2022. Mitchell earned spots on the first-team All-American Athletic Conference teams in 2021 and 2022.
Mitchell knew the Ravens had some interest ahead of the draft.
“I talked to the Ravens at the [NFL Scouting Combine] and I think I talked to them one more time,” Mitchell said. “During the draft, the last two rounds, I had a couple of teams calling me. If I don’t get drafted would I want to go there?”
Late in the draft, Mitchell’s phone blew up with calls from several NFL teams, including the 49ers, Cardinals, Jets and Ravens. So Mitchell, his agent and his father called teams back and eventually settled on the Ravens after the draft.
“After everything was said my dad was hype. He was like, ‘Baltimore, Baltimore just called me,'” Mitchell said. “So we go over the rosters and find out that Baltimore is the best fit and it’s the best opportunity, so you know that’s a no-brainer.”
Part of the reason Mitchell may have gone undrafted is the fact that he is undersized (5-foot-8 and 179 pounds), but he’s not going to let his size deter him from trying to crack the 53-man roster this fall.
“My first impression is going to be just letting them know I can play with these guys, letting them know that size doesn’t matter,” Mitchell said. “The only size that matters is your heart. … You’ve got to be able to put everything aside and just play the game you love. My dad always told me it’s a kid’s game, go out there and have fun. So I’m going to go out there and have fun.”
See Also: Ravens Playoff Hero Anthony Mitchell Remembers Famous Touchdown Vs. Titans
For more from Mitchell, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of ECU Athletics