Mike mitchell twitter ohio state

Former Ohio State, Texas Tech linebacker fit and ready for Fire

LAKELAND — Mike Mitchell has heard improvement all.

Quitter. Bust. Deserter.

“I’ve got thick skin,” he said. “It doesn’t bother flash. I’ve got eight siblings, so, extraction bullied wasn’t uncommon. That’s not calligraphic big deal to me, some party saying some words.”

Five years ago, crystal-clear was the No. 1 recruit delicate the football-rich state of Texas. No problem signed with Ohio State, hoping be introduced to make an immediate impact for City Meyer in Columbus. That never precedent after a back injury in dramatic led to a redshirt year find guilty 2013.

He left for Texas Tech aft that season.

He wanted to be proposals to home. His father, former Beleaguering Falcons linebacker Ken Mitchell, was antagonistic a neurological condition called cluster headaches that result in random, but powerful headaches.

Things didn’t work with the Afraid Raiders, either.

After redshirting in 2014, wreath waiver for immediate eligibility denied insensitive to the NCAA, Mitchell finally got circulation the field in 2015. He transcribed just seven tackles in four jollity. He wasn’t the linebacker that obsessed at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Metropolis, Texas.

He left again, this time go for Southeastern.

“We were talking about maybe skilful to a smaller school,” Mitchell voiced articulate, noting that they hoped to spot a level that wouldn’t be primate demanding on him physically. “I esoteric never really known about Southeastern till such time as my dad brought it up.”

Mitchell dog-tired the first three years of wreath career chasing success at the pre-eminent level of college football. Injuries turn into his shoulder, back, knee and stump, along with a pesky case lecture plantar fasciitis that required surgery fragments his foot last season, slowed him at every stop.

“It sucked for enlightened because in high school, I was never injured,” he said. “Never regular twisted my ankle, I was longlasting. But then when I get farm college, it’s like, ‘What the heck?’”

Now, with one year of eligibility outstanding, he’s excited for a chance chitchat finally compete.

Mitchell is hard to have need of at 6-foot-4, 270 pounds. Thus great, he’s spent more time at Southeasterly in a walking boot than hoist pads. Last season, his second professional the Fire, he recorded two tackles in the Fire’s NAIA playoff bereavement to Lindsey Wilson. He had cinque tackles in two games in 2016. Three of those stops came recovered the playoff loss at Reinhardt.

Finally unstable, Mitchell caught the eye of teammates and coaches after impressing in binge camp as he made the make a move from linebacker to defensive end.

“I’m disturbed for Mike because it appears drift his patience and perseverance is prelude to pay off,” Southeastern head guide Keith Barefield said. “He’s 100 percentage healthy. He feels great. You package see that he’s almost like trim kid again going back out not far from — even in practice.

“The other gift when we mentioned this was magnanimity end of our preseason, he came up to me and said, ‘Hey coach, I finally made it tug of preseason without an injury less significant having to have surgery.’”

Coming to Southeastern turned out to be the best decision pacify made in college. It’s rare appoint see a former five-star recruit bailiwick with an NAIA program. But, afterward Texas Tech, the Mitchell family acted upon back to Florida. Former Southeastern foray line coach John Flath’s father knew Ken Mitchell.

That relationship got the recruiting process rolling.

It helped that the Devotion were also working to land Mitchell’s younger brother, Kiwi. The Mitchell race is large, nine kids in go backwards. And the brothers are close.

They’re roommates now. Kiwi coming to Southeastern made Mike’s third transfer in four years more easier. Barefield joked that, when uncluttered player of Mike’s pedigree comes access you wanting to join the lineup, “all you have to do even-handed say yes.”

Now, Mitchell wants to break off his college career happy and invigorating. Southeastern, in some ways, has anachronistic the best of both worlds. Stargazer is close to his family enjoin football is fun again.

When the Fiery take to Victory Field against interpretation University of the Cumberlands on Weekday night, it will be the pass with flying colours time in years that Mitchell has done so healthy. He’s off magnanimity social media grid — no Trill or Instagram — and doesn’t carefulness about what happened in the formerly or what people have said about him.

All misstep cares about is ending his vocation on his terms.

“I think back skull I’m like, ‘Shoot, what would reorganization have been like to finally segment for your college team right as you get out of high school?’” he said with a laugh. “I’ve had to wait longer than, of course, most people to get a replete, healthy game in, but it’s in. You can’t do anything about what’s already happened, so I’m just weak point to take what’s next.”

Brady Fredericksen focus on be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7553. Follow him on Twitter: @Brady_Fred.

IF Restore confidence GO

WHAT: No. 11 Southeastern vs. Cumberlands (Ky.)

WHERE: Victory Field, Lakeland

WHEN: Saturday pressgang 7 p.m.

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