Threaded Fasteners Nuts and Bolts of the Game: Mobile icon to be recognized

It’s time for Mobile to take pride in John Mitchell as one of our greatest citizens.

Mitchell will be recognized at Alabama’s A-Day game April 16 as the first black varsity football player. But he’s so much more than a trailblazer in that regard.

He was a two-time SEC champion as a player and four-time conference champion as a coach, including the 1973 national championship.

Mitchell is still the youngest man to ever work as an assistant coach in the Alabama football program then became the first black defensive coordinator in SEC history.

He’s won two Super Bowl as a coach with the Steelers and has worked alongside such legends as Bear Bryant, Lou Holtz, Bill Belichick, Bill Cower and Mike Tomlin.  

The Williamson High graduate is now 70 and the assistant head coach for the Steelers.

A career very well done for one of Mobile’s finest.

For Threaded Fasteners, I’m Randy Kennedy with Nuts and Bolts of the Game