James Mitchell was born August 11, 1999, to Jimmy and Marcia Mitchell. Mitchell's father is a pastor and his mother played college basketball Brown University.[1] Mitchell's father appeared in Big Stone Gap, a film about set in Mitchell's hometown.[2]Mitchell grew up in Big Stone Gap, Virginia and attended Union High School where he was a stand out athlete in multiple sports. Mitchell's athleticism was noticed at an early age when he began dunking the ball in middle school while playing JV basketball.[1][3] He committed to play college football at Virginia Tech over offers from Georgia, Duke and Clemson.[4]
College career
Mitchell played in 13 games, primarily on special teams, as a freshman.[5] He became a starter as a sophomore and caught 21 passes for 361 yards with two touchdowns.[6] Mitchell had 26 receptions for 435 yards and four touchdowns as a junior.[7] He was nicknamed "the Governor" during his junior season by his coaching staff and teammates.[8] Mitchell considered entering the 2021 NFL draft, but opted to stay at Virginia Tech for his senior season.[9] Mitchell was named to the Pre-season All-Atlantic Coast Conference team prior to his senior year and was on the Mackey Award watch list.[10] Mitchell suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of his senior year.[11] Following the end of the season, he announced that he would be entering the 2022 NFL draft.[12]
Mitchell was selected in the fifth round with the 177th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.[15] During Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, Mitchell recorded his first NFL catch on a 14–yard reception from Jared Goff.[16] On November 6, Mitchell recorded his first NFL touchdown on a three-yard reception against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field.[17] As a rookie, Mitchell appeared in 14 games. He recorded 11 receptions for 113 receiving yards and one touchdown.[18]
Mitchell was waived by the Lions on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad.[19][20]
