University of Vermont Athletics

Robert K. Mitchell 1968 - Football

If not the best Catamount running back of all-time, Bobby Mitchell, a 1978 UVM Hall of Fame inductee, certainly was the most honored receiving All-American and all-region honors in the late 1960s.

Small wonder that in 1966, when athletic conferences around the country were reporting declining attendance figures, Yankee Conference football games showed an increase of 12 percent. That fall Mitchell took the nation by storm, causing more excitement on the UVM campus than any athlete ever before. As a junior, Mitchell shattered eight UVM, New England and national rushing and total offense records and was nationally acclaimed. "Beware of the Running Back" was echoed throughout New England, and the warning more than applied to the 5-11, 205 lb. halfback who became a sensation almost overnight. When the dust had finally cleared over the 1966 season, Mitchell had set the following records at Vermont: most points -78 (New England record); total rushing yardage - 1,207 (New England record); rushing attempts - 249; total offense - 1,207; touchdowns - 13; carries per game - 31.1 (New England record and NCAA record); Single game rushing yardage - 205; Rushing attempts, single game - 47 (NCAA record) and yards averaged per game - 151.0.

For all the records, Mitchell received numerous honors including: Associated Press Little All-America; ECAC All-East (division II); Outstanding Small College Halfback in New England as selected by the New England Football Coaches Association; Vermont Athlete of the Year as selected by the Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association; All-New England, as named by AP, UPI, the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald-Traveler.

Despite a mid-season injury, Mitchell had another great year as a senior in 1967 rushing for 867 yards and reaching the end zone six times. His 256 carries as a senior set a new school and New England single season record. Mitchell repeated on the All-Yankee Conference First Team, the ECAC Division II All-East Team and several All-New England Teams (AP, Boston Herald-Traveler, UPI). He finished his career with a then-New England record 2,234 rushing yards and graduated as the UVM all-time leader in touchdowns (23), points scored (138) and rushing attempts (557).

Through the years Mitchell's efforts were not forgotten. In 1999 he was named to Sports Illustrated's Top 50 Greatest Sports Figures From Vermont for the 20th Century (1900-2000). The magazine's editors composed a list of the "Top 50 Athletes" in each state in its December 27, 1999 issue to commemorate the millennium. Mitchell ranked 19th among the Top 50 Vermonters.