As an avid reader and a college football fan this is a story that makes me very, very proud. If you stumbled across this blog accidentally and you are not a college football fan, I just ask that you bear with me and read through. It just might make you proud as well.

I grew up poor and white. We lived on the wrong side of the tracks, if you will. My parents worked very hard to live on the other side of those proverbial railroad tracks, and they did their best. Punches flew in our household and I was guilty of participation, but often I would escape into another room and pick up a book. Reading can take you to another place and another time. It’s a way of escape. Although we were poor and for a while all four kids in my family slept in the same bedroom, I have no idea what it’s like to be black.

I had dreams of escaping my situation and I had people to look up to. In the poor black community, I sincerely hope that they have Malcolm Mitchell as an outstanding role model.

Coming out of high school super power, Valdosta High School, Malcolm Mitchell was all everything in football. I’ve lived where the citizens of the town love their high school football, but nobody loves their high school football more than the folks in Valdosta, Georgia. With 24 state titles to their credit, a new coach had better win and win big. The pressure from the townies there to win is almost as severe as it is at Alabama, or Texas, or Ohio State. It’s just intense.

Malcolm Mitchell was considered the top athlete in the state of Georgia, which is a huge accomplishment. By athlete in football, they are talking about a player that could play more than a single position. Mitchell was outstanding as a Defensive Back, or Cornerback. But, his meal ticket was at Wide Receiver. His teammate, Jay Rome was the top Tight End recruit in the nation in the 2011 recruiting class.

Mitchell was a 4 star recruit in ESPN rankings and the other services such as Rivals.com and 247.com had him similarly ranked. He set a single season Valdosta High school record in 2010 with 77 catches for 1,419 yards and 7 Touchdowns. The team finished 11-2 and made it to the state quarterfinals which held the wolves off of head coach Rance Gillespie for at least another year considering this was his first season as head coach.

Both Malcolm Mitchell and Jay Rome signed with the home state Georgia Bulldogs which was no big surprise. The Bulldogs have played a lot of Valdosta players over the years.

As a freshman at Georgia, Malcolm Mitchell had a big year and that continued as a sophomore. But, 2013 was a terrible season for the Bulldogs. They were supposed to dominate the SEC East, but they lost to Missouri, Vanderbilt and Auburn all in games they could have just as easily won. They were cursed with one injury after another including Mitchell who only played in 1 game.

Mitchell took a medical redshirt in 2013 and had 2 years of eligibility remaining.

While at Georgia, Mitchell had a junior high reading level and that was supposedly embarrassing for

him. It would be for me and one has to wonder how he got into Georgia.

But, this is where his story gets different than most kids that grow up in the hood and go play football at an SEC school. Mitchell was determined to get better so he worked hard at it. Football was easy for Malcolm Mitchell, but reading was hard work. He gave the effort.

We learn from CBS news’ Steve Hartman that Mitchell was at a Barnes and Noble book store and a lady invited him to her book club meeting. Strangely, Mitchell showed up and the older ladies welcomed him right in with no idea that he was a local celebrity of sorts.
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Mitchell became something of a book worm and some friends even called him a nerd. He was not insulted, but proud of the insinuation that he was intelligent, which he is.

While going through this, Malcolm Mitchell even wrote a children’s book. No big deal, you say? No, it is a big deal and the book is about teaching the children the magic of reading.

I have kids and grandkids, yes I am old, but they have little interest in reading. I plan on buying this book for them in hopes that they discover the magic that is available by reading books.

Malcolm Mitchell’s story does not end here. Mitchell was fortunate enough to be taken on draft day by the best organization in the NFL. He was taken in the 4th round by the New England Patriots.

Tom Brady was suspended for the first few games of the season because of the most insane scandal in NFL history, Deflategate. Mitchell worked his way into the starting lineup and caught passes from

Jimmy Garoppolo until Brady returned.

Obviously, the Patriots led by the greatest Quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, came from behind to beat the Atlanta Falcons.

What a proud accomplishment for anyone, but that’s not Malcolm Mitchell’s most proud moment. His biggest thrill is learning how to read much better.

Malcolm Mitchell will have more impact on kids than just about anyone. He’s already meeting with children and telling them his story. He is talking about the magic of reading just like the theme of his book.

Reading can be an escape from your moment of destitution, or it can be the plan of a better future. A future away from poverty and the disgusting crime in the ghetto, or whatever situation you might be in at the moment.

I’ve never even met Malcolm Mitchell, but his success story on the football field and especially in the classroom makes me as proud of him as I can be. My hope for him is that he writes other books and I would personally love to read his life story.

Keep up the good work, Malcolm, with football and with books.