Mitchell was raised by his grandparents on a 150-acre farm in Tchula, Mississippi, avoiding the difficult neighborhood in Chicago where his parents lived.
Mitchell declared himself eligible for the NFL draft after his sophomore season in order to help ease the financial burdens of his family.
In 1994, Mitchell's best season came under head coach Pete Carroll when he was second on the team with 58 receptions for 749 yards and four touchdowns.
The Jets designated him as the team's franchise player before the 1996 season and tried to trade him, but released him on April 23.
[6] On November 21, 1996, the Dallas Cowboys convinced Mitchell to leave retirement and signed him for depth purposes after dealing with injuries to tight ends Jay Novacek and Eric Bjornson.
He was signed to a free-agent contract on January 19 but lasted only one day in training camp, leaving in the middle of the night without telling anyone his intentions.
On April 14, 2003, Mitchell was signed as a free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were enduring a contract holdout by tight end Kyle Brady.
Mitchell was a studio analyst for British television channel Sky Sports on its live NFL coverage, as well as for ESPN Brasil.
He now works part-time at Scarisbrick Hall School in England, teaching students the American sports of football and baseball.