PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It wasn’t unexpected, most thought it would be his last year with the Steelers. However, emotions were still strong as some of his former players and staffers gathered on the South Side to honor Assistant Head Coach John Mitchell as he retired after over 50 years in football Wednesday, 29 coaching the Steelers.
“John Mitchell is a very principled man, a very good man,” former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke told 93.7 The Fan. “He’s a well-balanced person. Everyone loves him. He just believes in teaching the fundamentals. He’s not into the window dressing, go out there and do your job, play technique. He was no-nonsense.”
“He is a better man than he was a coach.”
Hoke said Mitchell is like a father to him, they’ve been really close for two decades. Although it didn’t start that way.
“The first couple of years I thought he hated me,” Hoke said. “Until I was able to get on a field in a regular season game and prove myself to Mitch. I didn’t know if he thought twice about me.”
“You get out there and gain his respect and show you can play. You become close.”
Sometimes you get to the point where you are around each other too much. Hoke noting during the season you see the team more than your family. That means, like a family, things aren’t always great. Hoke said the players were like Mitchell’s kids and you know how those relationships can go.
“Funny thing was, as close as we were, you have your little spats,” the 11-year Steeler said. “It’s almost like a family. There was a time I was (ticked) off because I thought Mitch wronged me on a film. He called me out on something that wasn’t a big deal on a practice film. I was teed-off and he was teed-off on me. We didn’t talk for three, four, five days .”
“We had our little moments, but 99% of the time, or more, it was awesome. We were winning. When you are winning and kicking butt and taking names, I mean, come on (it’s awesome).”
Mitchell was the first African-American to play football at the University of Alabama, winning a pair of SEC championships in his two seasons. There is a plaque to mark the achievement at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
“Tremendous respect,” Hoke said. “He broke a lot of barriers. The things that he did. The things and stigmas he had to overcome. You have to give him a lot of credit for going through that and breaking through that. He busted through all of that.”
“A lot of respect. I’m very humbled for what he has done. How he has helped other people and he continues to help other people. That to me means a lot that he did so many firsts and opened the door and paved the way for so many people.”
Hoke, Brett Keisel, Cam Heyward and others remembered some of those times with Mitchell on Wednesday. Hoke said what really sticks out about the special moments they had together, Mitchell would always make it about the players.
For at least a short time on Wednesday, it was all about Mitchell. Deservedly so.