Thank you, Malcolm Mitchell

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,430
Malcolm Mitchell retires, due to knee issues. Thank you Malcolm for SB LI and everything else. What a tragically short career.


 

bigq

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
11,084
This kind of sucks. I really liked him. At least he goes out on top. His one season with the Patriots had a happy ending.
 

RoDaddy

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 19, 2002
3,245
Albany area, NY
His big contribution was all of those clutch catches in the 4th quarter in of the SB win, but that alone was worth the 4th round pick
 

CreedBratton

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 6, 2009
3,753
We likely don’t win the SB without him. He was incredible in that game. Thank you Malcolm!
 

thebtskink

New Member
Jul 15, 2005
332
Him personally, I mean.

Dude was pretty good in his rookie season. Would've loved to see how he was in year three, etc.
 

Bellhorn

Lumiere
SoSH Member
Aug 22, 2006
2,328
Brighton, MA
What a bummer. People will tend to associate the comeback with White and Edelman, but it was Mitchell’s emergence early in the 4th that really allowed the offense to get rolling. He should never have to buy a drink in New England again.
 

mikeford

woolwich!
SoSH Member
Aug 6, 2006
29,517
St John's, NL
This is why you never begrudge a guy trying to get his money. So many talents like Malcolm get their careers cut short.

At least he got to win one.
 

BigSoxFan

Member
SoSH Member
May 31, 2007
47,087
This is why you never begrudge a guy trying to get his money. So many talents like Malcolm get their careers cut short.

At least he got to win one.
Yup. Really bad luck too with the #2 WR spot completely up for grabs last couple of years and certainly next year. If healthy, he would have put up some nice stats.
 

Rook05

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
3,115
Boulder, CO
Pretty much the opposite of Easley. And the one time we draft a good rookie receiver.

Maybe LaVar Burton can get him a gig.
 

fieldslikebuckner

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2005
404
The Boston-NY DMZ
He spoke at my wife's elementary school last spring. He told the students the inspiring story about his life growing up and then read his book aloud to the school. We got to meet him afterward as he signed copies of the book and he came across as a generally great guy and role-model. Too bad his career got cut short but success will no doubt follow him. Thanks Malcolm.
 

stp

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
396
Cape Ann
The combination of his story and his performance quickly made him one of my favorites. I wish him the best.
Thank you , Malcolm.
 

bakahump

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 8, 2001
7,518
Maine
Agreed. Mal was one of my favorite "nobodies" of this team. (I say Nobodies with Love, and from the aspect of someone 95% of the football fandom couldnt name from this team).
Dude just seemed to get it while also seemingly being a really nice guy. But, when he was playing Mal Mitchell was a bad man.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,014
Oregon
Hey folks, did you realize Malcolm Mitchell retired? Peter King is in the only one who did!

6. I think there was a blip on the NFL radar Friday, and I do believe no one, even in New England, paid much attention. That is wrong. At an event at his alma mater, the University of Georgia, former Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell announced his retirement. Players retire all the time, of course, and they all have their reasons. For Mitchell, the collective reason was 10 knee surgeries and never being able to get his health right. I’m not sure people recall how important a role he played in the 28-3 comeback in Super Bowl 51. You may remember a couple of years ago, when I visited Tom Brady a week after that comeback, and walked him through the comeback from 25 down late in the third quarter. New England scored on four straight possessions to tie the game and send it to overtime. The second possession of the four had Mitchell’s fingerprints all over it. From my column two years ago:

Great stat from the Elias Sports Bureau: In the Patriots first six Super Bowls in the Brady/Belichick era, New England never completed a pass to a rookie. In this game, rookie fourth-round pick Malcolm Mitchell was huge—six catches, 70 yards, in big spots—and especially big on this drive. He had catches of 15, seven and 18 yards, and Brady said the reason offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had him in the game, and Brady picked him on routes with multiple options, came down to one word: trust. “I think he had earned that trust of everybody,’’ Brady said. “… If it was Julian [Edelman] open, Julian was going to get it. If it was Malcolm, Malcolm was going to get it. Malcolm happened to be in those spots. And everybody had confidence to have Malcolm in those spots if he got it. He proved everybody right because he came up with the plays.’’ Two big Grady Jarrett sacks forced the Patriots to kick a field goal. With 9:48 left, it was a two-score game.

A shame that Mitchell could not get healthy enough to continue his career, but he has made an impact as an advocate for literacy too.
 

dcmissle

Deflatigator
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 4, 2005
28,269
I keep coming back to 10 knee surgeries by the age of 25. Damn shame. The decision made itself.