Former New Orleans Saints linebacker Keith Mitchell has passed away at the age of 51.
The Garland, TX native was an All-American linebacker at Texas A&M. A member of the “Wrecking Crew” defense from 1993-1996, Mitchell was a part of 1993 Southwest Conference championship team that had a perfect 7-0 conference record, finishing the season 10-2 overall and No. 9 in the final AP Poll.
Mitchell was named was the defensive MVP of the Aggies’ 1995 Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan. He also earned second-team
All-Southwest Conference honors in 1995 and first-team All-Big 12 honors in 1996.
In 1997, Mitchell signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. He played for the Saints from 1997 to 2001, with his best NFL season coming in 2000. That year, Mitchell earned his first Pro Bowl selection and helped lead the Saints to the NFC West title and the franchise’s first-ever playoff victory.
After five seasons in New Orleans, Mitchell spent one season each with the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars before retiring from the NFL in 2003.
In 2015, Mitchell was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame.
After his football career ended, Mitchell became an author, inspirational speaker, wellness coach and certified master yoga instructor. He also authored the book Mindfulness Mastery Playbook: 8 Strategies for Winning the Game of Life in 2025.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Keith Mitchell’s family and friends.
