One of the beloved members of Texas A&M’s “Wrecking Crew” defense of the mid-1990s has passed away.
According to KBTX Bryan-College Station, former Texas A&M All-American and Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Mitchell has died at 51 years old.
“Texas A&M All-American linebacker Keith Mitchell died at 51, Texas A&M athletics confirmed to KBTX on Thursday,” KBTX’s Travis L. Brown wrote on Thursday. “Mitchell was a member of the ‘Wrecking Crew’ defense from 1993-96, including the 1993 Southwest Conference champion squad. He earned All-SWC honors in 1995, followed by an All-Big 12 nod in 1996 to go along with his College Football News All-America selection. The Garland native was fourth all-time for career sacks at A&M with 34, including 14.5 during his senior season. The 1996 total is tied for sixth in A&M’s record book for single-season sacks.”
Mitchell, 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, went undrafted in 1997 over concerns about his size but made the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.
He played for the Saints from 1997 to 2001, including earning Pro Bowl honors in 2000 with a career-high 6.5 sacks and 2 defensive touchdowns.
“The New Orleans Saints are saddened to learn of the passing of team legend Keith Mitchell,” the Saints wrote on their official X account on Thursday. “After an outstanding career at Texas A&M, the linebacker was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Black and Gold in 1997. He played for the Saints from 1997 through 2001 and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2000. He also played for the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars during his professional football career. The Saints extend their sympathies to the Mitchell family during these challenging times.”
Inducted Into A&M Hall of Fame in 2015
Mitchell played 7 seasons in the NFL, adding 2 more seasons with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2002 and 2003 before he retired following a serious spinal injury.
In 2015, Mitchell was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame. He finished his 7-year NFL career with 408 tackles and 19.5 sacks
In 2015, Mitchell was inducted into the A&M Athletics Hall of Fame, after a seven-year career in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Saints in 2000.
Mitchell recorded 408 tackles, including 19.5 sacks, in 94 games played in the NFL. He had probably his best overall season in 1999, with 115 tackles, 3 interceptions, 8 TFL, 4 forced fumbles, and 3.5 sacks as he started all 16 regular-season games.
From TMZ: ‘Following his playing career, Mitchell shifted to wellness and yoga … and released a book called ‘The Mindfulness Mastery Playbook’ late last year. He credited yoga and meditation with saving his life … and traveled the world sharing his expertise.”
Part of that experience involved deep self-reflection.
“Ever feel like your life is trying to tell you… there’s more here?” Mitchell wrote on his official Instagram account on February 6. “That feeling isn’t random. It’s an invitation. But nothing changes unless you first accept where you are right now — breath, body, thoughts, and all. Most of us live in reactive breathing without even noticing. Chest breathing keeps the nervous system on alert, feeding stress and survival patterns. Belly breathing does the opposite. It slows you down. It creates space. It reminds your body that you are safe enough to be present. Acceptance begins here — not in some grand life decision, but in the simple act of noticing your breath and choosing differently.
NFL Stars Littered A&M’s ‘Wrecking Crew’ Era
The Aggies were chock-full of future NFL stars in the Wrecking Crew era under head coach R.C. Slocum in the mid-to-late 1990s, including 2 1st-round picks in the 1994 NFL draft with defensive tackle Sam Adams and cornerback and current New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.
“Sad news …. Former Saints linebacker Keith Mitchell has died, per a report by KBTX News in Bryan, Texas,” Times-Picayune reporter Jeff Duncan wrote on X. “Mitchell was an undrafted free agent in 1997, who went on to make the Pro Bowl in 2000. He was 51.”
Former Texas A&M All-American & Pro Bowler Dies at 51 Years Old