Born in England and coming to Canada at 11 years old, Mitchell graduated from the University of Western Ontario as the Mustangs most valuable player.
However, the Boatmen were immediately rewarded, as Mitchell played both offensive and defensive line (and intercepted 2 passes) and won the Gruen Trophy as best rookie in the Eastern Conference.
After three season in Toronto, he was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos in a blockbuster 6 player deal that saw the famed Jackie Parker head east.
In three seasons in Edmonton, besides being a lineman, he scored 123 points with his boot, including a 58-yard field goal (versus the Calgary Stampeders on August 17, 1964) which was the longest in CFL history at the time.
[2] Mitchell was traded to the British Columbia Lions in 1966 and scored his highest points in a season that year with 67.