Mitchell attended North Hollywood High School, before moving on to College of the Canyons for two years.
The Dallas Cowboys liked Mitchell's athletic ability and selected him in the second round (55th overall) of the 1979 NFL draft.
[1] In 1981, he was passed on the depth chart by Dennis Thurman and was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for an eleventh draft choice (#295-George Thompson).
[2] The Buccaneers moved him to free safety to take advantage of his aggressive hitting and to limit his exposure in coverage.
He was placed on injured reserve list for the last two games of the season, after suffering a collapsed lung.