Player Profile

PRO: A versatile defensive back with outstanding speed and intelligence, Donald Mitchell returns to Dallas and joins the Cowboys in 2003 as an unrestricted free agent from the Tennessee Titans. The Beaumont, Texas, native enjoyed his first football stint in Dallas, producing a stellar collegiate career at Southern Methodist University. With the proliferation of three and four wide receiver sets in the NFL today, Mitchell brings a unique skill to the Dallas secondary having spent the last two seasons working as the Titans' nickel back. His addition, along with the drafting of Terence Newman and the emergence of Derek Ross and Mario Edwards, gives the Cowboys' one of the NFL's top young secondaries. Mitchell is also a special teams standout who will be a valuable asset to the Cowboys in a number of ways, having scored two touchdowns on blocked kicks and logged 43 special teams tackles during his career.

2002: Mitchell saw action in all 16 games with 10 starts as the team's nickel defensive back. In the process, he set career-highs in tackles (51), passes defensed (eight), forced fumbles (one), fumble recoveries (two) and quarterback pressures (two). As a major contributor on special teams, he tied for fifth on the team with 11 special teams tackles and added another fumble recovery. Mitchell saw action at cornerback in the season opener against Philadelphia (9/8), recording three tackles and a pass defensed in the Titans' 27-24 win. He earned his first start of the season at Dallas (9/15) and recorded one special teams tackle. He played a key role against Cleveland (9/22), starting at nickel cornerback and posting four tackles, a fumble recovery and a special teams tackle. For the second week in a row, Mitchell recovered a fumble while adding five tackles at Oakland (9/29). He broke up two passes, recorded two tackles and added a quarterback pressure against Washington (10/6). At Cincinnati (10/27), Mitchell posted three tackles in a 30-24 Titans win. He posted six tackles in each of the Titans' wins at Indianapolis (11/3) and against Houston (11/10), while also forcing the Colts' Jim Finn to fumble (the ball rolled out of bounds). Mitchell had one of his biggest days of the year against Pittsburgh (11/17), recording his first interception of the season along with four tackles, a pass defensed and two special teams stops in the Titans' 31-23 win. His interception of a Tommy Maddox pass in the third quarter set up a Titans touchdown. Mitchell had a pair of tackles from his cornerback spot as well as on special teams at the N.Y. Giants (12/1). In his second go-round against the Colts (12/8), he recorded a career-high nine tackles along with two passes defensed and a special teams tackle as Indianapolis was held to 17 points. Mitchell helped hold the Patriots offense to a season-low 176 net yards with three tackles and a pass deflection that was intercepted by Rich Coady and returned 24 yards for a touchdown in the Titans' 24-7 Monday Night Football win against New England (12/16). His play in the nickel defense helped hold Houston (12/29) to three points in the regular season finale. In the AFC Divisional Playoffs, Mitchell recorded three tackles, deflected a pass and recorded his first career sack in the 34-31 win against Pittsburgh (1/11/03). Mitchell then led the team with eight tackles in the AFC Championship game at Oakland (1/19/03).

2001: Mitchell saw action in 12 games with three starts as he returned to action after missing the 2000 season with a torn ACL in his right knee. He had a big impact on the Titans' special teams units, finishing third on the team with 13 special teams tackles while also scoring touchdowns on a blocked punt and blocked field goal return. He blocked the punt he returned for a score. On defense, Mitchell recorded 25 tackles and broke up four passes. In his first action since the injury a year before, Mitchell recorded a career-high four special teams tackles in the season opener against Miami (9/9). He posted five tackles, one pass defensed and three special teams tackles at Jacksonville (9/23). At Baltimore (10/7), Mitchell scored his second career touchdown after blocking a Kyle Richardson punt and returning it 26 yards for a score. He blocked the punt after suffering a mild concussion earlier in the game and returning. He also added two tackles in the Ravens game. Mitchell earned his first career start in place of Samari Rolle (injured neck) and tallied three tackles, one pass defensed and one special teams tackle in a 31-28 overtime win against Tampa Bay (10/14). He started and scored his third career touchdown on 69-yard blocked field goal return (Jason Hanson kick blocked by Henry Ford) in the Titans' 27-24 win at Detroit (10/21). It was the first time the Titans' had blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown since Oct. 15, 1967 when the Oilers played the N.Y. Jets and Ken Houston returned a blocked field goal 71 yards for a score. Mitchell also posted a season-high seven tackles against the Lions. He tallied three tackles and a special teams tackle on Monday Night Football at Pittsburgh (10/29). Mitchell earned another start as the third cornerback and posted two tackles and a pass defensed in the Titans' 38-24 win against Jacksonville (11/4). Mitchell left the game at Cleveland (12/2) in the first quarter after spraining his right knee and did not return. He returned to action at Minnesota (12/9), but was then inactive for the final four games of the season because of his knee.

2000: Mitchell was placed on injured reserve Aug. 22 after tearing the ACL in his right knee in practice.

1999: Originally drafted in the fourth round (117th overall) of 1999 NFL Draft, Mitchell went on to play in all 16 games and finish his rookie year fourth on the team in special teams tackles with 19. He registered at least two special teams tackles in eight games. He was also the only Titan to return an interception for a touchdown in 1999, and he became the first Titan rookie to do so since Denard Walker in 1997. Mitchell recorded seven tackles on the season. He tallied a season-high two tackles and blocked a punt, which led to safety against Cincinnati (9/12) in his first NFL game. He collected his first NFL interception at New Orleans (10/17), returning the pick 42 yards for a touchdown. Mitchell had a season-high three special teams tackles at Cleveland (11/28). In the postseason, he saw action in all four playoff games, registering four tackles and the first postseason interception of his career when he picked off a Mark Brunell pass in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game at Jacksonville (1/23).

COLLEGE: Mitchell played in 41 games with 26 starts during his collegiate career at Southern Methodist University. He contributed 160 tackles, six interceptions, two fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles. As a senior, he posted a career-high 74 tackles, 16 passes defensed, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. He had a season-best 13 tackles against Ole Miss. Mitchell picked off three passes and recorded 45 tackles as a junior, and he started six games as a sophomore.

PERSONAL: Donald Roosevelt Mitchell was an All-District selection at Central High School in Beaumont, Texas. He was selected to the San Antonio Express-News Top 100 and named one of the top 20 defensive backs in Texas by Texas Football Magazine. He also lettered in track and baseball for the Jaguars. He majored in management information systems at Southern Methodist. Donald's wife, Nikki Leenders, worked as a reporter for WTVF-TV in Nashville.