Freddie Mitchell Freddie Lee Mitchell , Jr . ( born November 28 , 1978 ) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League ( NFL ) for four seasons . He was chosen as a consensus All - American in 2000 while playing college football for the University of California , Los Angeles ( UCLA ) . The Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft , and he spent four seasons as a member of the Eagles , culminating in an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX following the 2004 NFL season . A four - sport athlete at Kathleen High School , Mitchell committed to UCLA to play football for the Bruins . In his collegiate debut in 1998 , he had four receptions for 108 yards , including a 79 - yard touchdown from Cade McNown , as well as a 34 - yard touchdown pass to Brian Poli - Dixon . Mitchell broke his femur the following week against Houston and missed most of the season . Limited by a knee cartilage injury throughout the 1999 season , he finished with 38 receptions for 533 yards . As a junior in 2000 , Mitchell was a Fred Biletnikoff Award finalist and earned first - team All - Pac - 10 honors at the conclusion of the season . In the 2000 Sun Bowl , he had nine catches for a Sun Bowl record of 180 yards . He declared for the 2001 NFL Draft following the 2000 season and finished his college career with 77 catches for 1 , 494 yards and nine touchdowns . Mitchell was drafted by the Eagles with the 25th selection in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft . He began the 2001 season as the fourth wide receiver , but surpassed Na Brown to become the team ' s slot receiver in week eight . Mitchell became the fourth receiver again after the Eagles signed Antonio Freeman before the 2002 season and caught only twelve passes the entire year . Mitchell became the slot receiver once again during the 2003 season , after Freeman left . In the NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Green Bay Packers , with the Eagles facing a 4th and 26 situation , he caught a 28 - yard pass from Donovan McNabb to help led the team to a win in overtime . He finished the 2003 season with a career - high 35 catches for 498 yards and two touchdowns . The presence of Terrell Owens in 2004 led to limited opportunities for Mitchell to catch passes and he showed his frustration on and off the field . When Owens went down with an ankle injury towards the end of the season , Mitchell replaced him as the starter and had a two - touchdown performance in the Divisional Playoff Game against the Minnesota Vikings . After the game , Mitchell said , " I just want to thank my hands for being so great . " In the week prior to Super Bowl XXXIX against the New England Patriots , he created controversy by offending members of the Patriots ' secondary , including Rodney Harrison . He caught one pass for 11 yards in the Super Bowl and was released by the Eagles on May 6 , 2005 . The Kansas City Chiefs signed him shortly after , but he declined to have arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee and he was released before the start of the season . After his NFL career ended , Mitchell bought a barbecue restaurant in Lakeland in 2008 , but the venue was closed in September 2009 . Mitchell is currently serving a 37 month sentence for tax fraud . Early years . Mitchell grew up as the son of a pastor in Lakeland , Florida . He attended Kathleen High School in Lakeland , where he lettered in cross country , baseball , football , and basketball . In baseball , Mitchell was used as a pinch hitter and played outfielder . He played in the Polk County East – West Senior All - Star Game in 1997 for the West squad . He had a . 388 batting average , three home run s , and eleven runs batted in ( RBI ) . Mitchell was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 47th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft after graduating from Kathleen . He was a guard in basketball , and scored 11 points in the 1997 Class 4A boys ' high school basketball state championship for Kathleen as the Red Devils won their first ever title . Mitchell , who had three steals in the game , was called for a technical foul after he went out - of - bounds and punched a cooler . In football , he contributed as a wide receiver , kick returner , punt returner , holder for kicker Paul Edinger , and defensive back . Mitchell earned " The Ledger " second - team all - Lakeland area honors as a utility player following the 1995 season . Mitchell visited the University of Florida , Florida State University , the University of Miami , and Michigan State University before he committed to the University of California , Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins . He chose to play on the West Coast mainly because of the opportunities presented for his career after football . College career . While attending the University of California , Los Angeles , Mitchell played for the UCLA Bruins football team from 1997 to 2000 . He sat out the 1997 season by taking a redshirt and subsequently lengthening his college football eligibility . In his first game , a 49 – 31 win over Texas on September 12 , 1998 , Mitchell threw a 34 - yard touchdown pass to Brian Poli - Dixon and had four catches for 108 yards and one touchdown pass ( 79 yards ) from quarterback Cade McNown . He had one rushing attempt for 30 yards on a reverse , 78 yards on three kickoff returns , and 17 yards on three punt return s . He was named the Pacific - 10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the game . On September 19 , Mitchell had surgery on his left femur after suffering a fracture at the end of a kickoff return in the first quarter of a 42 – 24 win over Houston the same day . Mitchell was expected to miss the rest of the season . However , after a " remarkable " recovery , according to a member of the UCLA medical staff , Mitchell was able to play for eleven snaps in the Rose Bowl on January 1 , 1999 . He threw a 61 - yard touchdown pass to Durell Price on a flea flicker play in the first quarter of the loss to Wisconsin . In the summer prior to the 1999 season , Mitchell and Poli - Dixon trained with Minnesota Vikings receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter in Florida . Mitchell , Poli - Dixon , Danny Farmer , and the rest of the UCLA receiving corps called themselves " The Birds " for their ability to " fly all over the field . " Mitchell was hampered by a knee cartilage issue throughout his redshirt sophomore season . In his first career start , replacing the injured Farmer in the season - opener against Boise State , Mitchell had one catch for 11 yards from Drew Bennett , one kickoff return for 15 yards , and four punt returns for 33 yards . In the next week in a loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes , Mitchell again started in place of Farmer and gained 31 yards on two reverses , had four kickoff returns for 73 yards and completed a pass for 18 yards . In a 35 – 21 win over Fresno State on September 18 , Mitchell , again starting in place of Farmer , caught nine passes for 149 yards , both career - highs . Mitchell caught 10 passes for 103 total yards in the next four games . He led the team in receiving for three consecutive weeks to follow : in his sixth start of the season , a 55 – 7 blowout loss to Oregon State , he caught five passes for 58 yards ; in the Bruins ' third - straight loss , this time to Arizona , he had 42 yards on four receptions ; and in a 23 – 20 win in overtime against Washington , he successfully received four passes for 82 yards , including a 43 - yard pass from Ryan McCann . In the final game of the season , against USC , Mitchell caught five passes for 88 yards . He had a total of 38 catches for 533 yards with no touchdowns and six starts in 1999 , and finished 15th in the Pac - 10 in receptions with 3 . 5 per game and 17th in receiving yards with 48 . 5 per game . Mitchell played baseball for the Bruins in the offseason prior to the 2000 football season . He was teammates with future Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and introduced Utley to his future wife , Jennifer Cooper . Mitchell was drafted in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft in the 50th round by the Chicago White Sox . Utley said of Mitchell ' s decision not to play baseball professionally , " he chose the right sport in football , that ' s for sure . He was a good batting practice hitter — that ' s about it . He wasn ' t quite the same once the game got going . " The Bruins earned the Pac - 10 Conference Championship with Mitchell as a member in 2000 . Mitchell earned preseason first - team All - Pac - 10 honors from " The Sporting News " and " Lindy ' s Sports " before the 2000 season as he prepared to take over the starting wide receiver job following Farmer ' s graduation . Mitchell , along with teammate Poli - Dixon , was named to the Fred Biletnikoff Award watchlist for the best wide receiver in college football during the preseason . In the season - opener against third - ranked Alabama , Mitchell threw a 31 - yard touchdown pass to Poli - Dixon on a trick play in the first quarter and made a 46 - yard touchdown reception from McCann in the third quarter . He finished the game with four catches for 91 yards in the upset win . In the 24 – 21 win over Fresno State on September 9 , Mitchell led the team in receiving with six receptions for 58 yards and a 20 - yard touchdown pass from McCann . Mitchell ' s catches went into the double - digits against third - ranked Michigan , as he had ten receptions for 137 yards in the 23 – 20 upset win on September 16 . On September 23 , in the third quarter of a 29 – 10 loss against Oregon , Mitchell caught what appeared to be a touchdown in the corner of the end zone , but was ruled out - of - bounds by the officials . The Bruins settled for a field goal on the drive and Mitchell explained after the game that " I knew it was a touchdown , you knew it was a touchdown , everybody does . The ref [ eree ] knew it too because he looked at me like he was sorry . " On the next series , however , Mitchell caught a 54 - yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Bennett . Mitchell finished the game with eight receptions for 158 yards . In a 38 – 31 comeback win over Arizona State on September 30 , he caught two touchdown passes from Cory Paus in the third quarter , one of which was for 80 yards , and had four total catches for 125 yards in the game . On October 14 , in a triple - overtime loss to California , Mitchell made eight receptions for 167 yards and caught a 35 - yard touchdown from Paus in the fourth quarter . Mitchell was named to the BCSfootball . com Midseason All - America team after posting 38 receptions for 736 yards and six touchdowns midway through the season . Over the next four games , Mitchell recorded 26 catches for 438 yards , including a seven - catch , 185 - yard game against Stanford on November 4 . He caught a 41 - yard touchdown pass from Paus in the game . In a 38 – 35 loss to USC on November 18 , Mitchell broke Farmer ' s single - season record of 1 , 274 yards in 1998 with 1 , 314 yards . He made four receptions for 140 yards and a four - yard touchdown in the game , and threw a 45 - yard touchdown pass to Poli - Dixon . Mitchell was named a semi - finalist for the Biletnikoff Award in late October . He was named a finalist for the award in late November alongside Antonio Bryant of Pittsburgh and Marvin Minnis of Florida State , but lost out to Bryant . Mitchell earned first - team All - America honors by the Walter Camp Football Foundation following the season , as well as first - team All - Pac - 10 honors . He earned CNNSI . com honorable mention All - America honors . He was named a winner of UCLA ' s Henry R . " Red " Sanders Award for Most Valuable Player , the winner of the George W . Dickerson Award for Outstanding Offensive Player against USC , and a winner of the Team Captain Award at the UCLA football award banquet . In the 2000 Sun Bowl against Wisconsin on December 29 , Mitchell made nine receptions for a Sun Bowl - record 180 yards , including a 64 - yard touchdown catch . Though the Bruins lost the game 21 – 20 , Mitchell said Badgers cornerback Jamar Fletcher " couldn ' t stop [ him ] . " Mitchell was called for two taunting penalties on Fletcher , but still won MVP honors following the game . Mitchell finished the season with 77 catches for 1 , 494 yards and nine touchdowns . In October 2000 , Mitchell told the " Eugene Register - Guard " that he was " definitely returning " for his senior season . By mid - November , however , he told the Associated Press that he was " leaning to staying , but nothing ' s firm . " Mitchell instead chose to forgo his senior year and entered the NFL Draft in early January 2001 . He stated , " I have had a great time , but it ' s time for me to give something back to my family . " Mitchell said he would be quieter in the NFL : " You won ' t hear no more trash talking from Freddie Mitchell , those are the big boys , I ' m just a little kid again . I ' m humble . " He had 119 catches for 2 , 135 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career as a Bruin . Professional career . Pre - draft . After Mitchell declared for the 2001 NFL Draft , one NFL scout told the " Milwaukee Journal - Sentinel " in February , " I don ' t think he ' s as fast as people in the press try to say he is . He ' s absolutely fearless over the middle but he prefers to trap the ball instead of to extend for it . I don ' t think he has nearly the explosion to be considered a first . " Mitchell was also criticized by scouts for his small frame and potential character issues . Draft analyst Mel Kiper , Jr . rated Mitchell as the 16th - best prospect in the draft following the NFL Scouting Combine in which he ran a 4 . 4 - second 40 - yard dash , and called him a player on the rise . Kiper also rated him as the fifth - best wide receiver in the draft and projected Mitchell to be drafted in the mid - first round following his performance at the Combine . In rating players several times leading up to the draft , Kiper re - watched game film of each player and adjusted their rankings accordingly . In his March 5 mock draft , Kiper projected Mitchell to be drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the tenth overall selection . He ranked Mitchell as the 18th - best player in the draft on March 30 . NFLDraftScout . com projected Mitchell to be drafted in the second round and rated him as the eighth - best wide receiver in the draft . Kiper ranked him the fourth - best wide receiver in the draft on April 2 . In his April 10 mock draft , Kiper projected Mitchell to be drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 24th overall selection . Ed Bouchette of the " Pittsburgh Post - Gazette " ranked Mitchell as the sixth - best wide receiver in the draft . Mitchell hired Tom Condon of IMG Football as his agent leading up to the draft . Philadelphia Eagles . 2001 season . Mitchell was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round ( 25th overall ) of the 2001 NFL Draft . He was the fifth wide receiver taken in the draft . He worked out with his new quarterback Donovan McNabb in Arizona and Los Angeles before mini - camp started . Because of NCAA rules regarding graduation , Mitchell was unable to attend the Eagles ' mini - camp until after UCLA ' s senior class graduated . He studied the Eagles ' playbook in the meantime . He asked the NFL for an exemption , but the league refused , and he arrived for his first practice on June 18 , 2001 . Mitchell signed a five - year , $ 5 . 5 million contract with the Eagles on July 26 , in time for the start of training camp . During training camp , Mitchell practiced as a backup behind James Thrash and Todd Pinkston . Special teams coordinator John Harbaugh asked Mitchell if he was willing to practice as a kickoff returner in practice , but Mitchell declined , citing the fracture of his femur on a kickoff return in college . Nonetheless , he still practiced on the kickoff coverage team , and on the punt coverage team as a gunner . Mitchell suffered a hip pointer during the morning session on July 31 , but returned for the afternoon session without limitation . A hamstring injury limited him at the end of training camp . Before the start of the 2001 season , head coach Andy Reid said , " Mentally , [ Mitchell is ] right there . He ' s picked everything up , he ' s a smart kid . He ' s wide - eyed , ready to learn . He ' s done a nice job when he ' s been in there . " Mitchell began the season as the team ' s fourth wide receiver behind Thrash , Pinkston , and Na Brown . Mitchell ' s difficulty in learning the complex playbook , as well as the lingering hamstring injury , limited him in the Eagles ' first six games of the season . In his first career NFL game , a week one matchup against the St . Louis Rams on September 9 , Mitchell played in a few snaps but was not thrown to . Mitchell was listed as " questionable " due to his hamstring injury before the start of the week two game against the Seattle Seahawks on September 23 , and was not activated . Against the Dallas Cowboys in week three on September 30 , Mitchell returned to the field and caught his first pass , which went for no gain . In weeks four and six , against the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants , respectively , Mitchell recorded no catches . In week seven against the Oakland Raiders , he made a catch for 15 yards . Due to Brown ' s ineffective play , Mitchell replaced him as the Eagles ' slot receiver in week eight against the Cardinals and had four receptions for 62 yards . In a week nine game against the Minnesota Vikings on November 11 , Mitchell caught three passes for 38 yards and had one rushing attempt for 12 yards . He caught two passes for 15 yards and had one rush for a loss of 16 yards in week ten against the Cowboys . Mitchell was listed as " probable " on the team ' s injury report due to a shoulder injury before a week eleven game against the Washington Redskins , but did not record any catches in the game . He made three receptions for 60 yards in a week twelve win over the Kansas City Chiefs on November 29 , and Reid said , " Every week we ' re giving Freddie a little bit more responsibility and he ' s coming along very well right now . " In a week thirteen game against the San Diego Chargers , Mitchell caught one pass for five yards and attempted a pass off of a reverse that was knocked down . Against Washington in week 14 , Mitchell caught his first career touchdown pass , a four - yard reception in the second quarter . He had two catches for 27 yards in the game . Mitchell caught two passes in each of the next two games for a total of 61 yards . Mitchell made his first two career starts in week seventeen and in a wild card playoff game win against the Buccaneers . He did not record any receptions in either game . Against the Chicago Bears in a divisional playoff game win on January 19 , Mitchell caught two passes for 14 yards . In the NFC Championship Game against the Rams on January 27 , Mitchell caught one pass for two yards . A pass intended for him on a fourth - down play was intercepted by Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams to clinch the win for St . Louis . Mitchell finished the season with 21 receptions for 283 yards and one touchdown . 2002 season . After the Eagles signed Antonio Freeman to a one - year contract in August 2002 , Mitchell was demoted to the fourth wide receiver behind Pinkston , Thrash , and Freeman . Mitchell mainly contributed on special teams for the Eagles throughout the 2002 season . In the first fifteen weeks of the season , Mitchell caught a total of six passes for 53 yards as a backup . Against the Cowboys in week sixteen , Pinkston left the game due to turf toe , and Mitchell caught two passes for 17 yards in his place . Mitchell started in place of Pinkston in the last regular season game against the Giants on December 28 , and led the team in receiving with four catches for 35 yards . Mitchell only caught twelve passes for 105 yards over the entire season . It was after this dismal performance , despite having the benefit of Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb passing to him , that Mitchell began to be labeled as a " bust . " 2003 season . Mitchell competed with rookie Billy McMullen for the third wide receiver position in 2003 after Freeman left the Eagles following the 2002 season . He eventually beat out McMullen for the slot receiver job . Eagles staff , players , and media called Mitchell one of the most improved players in training camp . Donovan McNabb commented that Mitchell ' s " offseason workouts as well as his mindset has been a whole lot different . " In the first four weeks of the season , Mitchell caught six passes for 55 yards . Mitchell had one catch for 29 yards against the Redskins on October 5 , and he recovered a Redskins onside kick to clinch the win for the Eagles . He had one reception for 27 yards in a game against the Cowboys in week six . Mitchell started in week seven in place of Pinkston against the Giants but recorded no catches . Against the New York Jets in week eight , he had two catches for 29 yards . In week nine against the Atlanta Falcons , Mitchell caught a 37 - yard touchdown pass from McNabb and finished with two catches for 43 yards . He made seven receptions in the next two games for 83 yards . Against the New Orleans Saints in week twelve , Mitchell started and made two receptions for 24 yards . In weeks thirteen and fourteen , he had a combined six catches for 98 yards . On December 15 , in a week fifteen game against the Miami Dolphins , Mitchell threw his first touchdown pass , a 25 - yard pass to Brian Westbrook , and caught two passes for 30 yards in the 34 – 27 win . Against the San Francisco 49ers in week sixteen on December 21 , Mitchell made two catches for 23 yards and caught an eight - yard touchdown pass in the second quarter of a week seventeen game against the Redskins on December 27 . He had four catches for 47 yards in the game . Mitchell ' s most significant play , according to Philadelphia media and fans , came on January 11 , 2004 , in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Packers . Late in the game , with the Eagles losing by three points and facing a 4th and 26 situation , Mitchell caught a 28 - yard pass for a first down . The Eagles tied the score on the same drive and won the game in overtime . Mitchell had another catch for nine yards in the game . In the NFC Championship Game on January 18 against the Carolina Panthers , he caught four passes for 38 yards in the loss . Mitchell had 35 catches for 498 yards and two touchdowns in 2003 . 2004 season . With the Eagles ' acquisition of wide receiver Terrell Owens and the departure of Thrash , Mitchell kept his role as the slot receiver in 2004 . Peter King said Mitchell had " a great training camp " and that he " might be having the best camp of any player I ' ve seen this summer . " He made seven receptions in the first four weeks of the season for a total of 118 yards receiving , including three catches for 71 yards against the Detroit Lions in week three . He started against the Panthers on October 17 in week six but did not record any catches . In the following three weeks , Mitchell only had two receptions for 31 yards , with both catches coming against the Cleveland Browns in week seven . His most notable catch of the season was a 60 - yard reception during the Eagles ' November 15 , 2004 , " Monday Night Football " game against the Cowboys . This catch is remembered primarily for the manner in which McNabb extended the play by eluding the Cowboys ' pass rush for 14 . 1 seconds before eventually throwing to Mitchell . Over the subsequent four weeks , Mitchell had one reception in each game for a combined 54 yards . He began to openly voice his frustration over the limited role he continued to play in the Eagles ' offense due to Owens ' prominence . At one point during the season , after he made a catch , Mitchell would point to his wrist as if to say " it ' s about time . " In a week fifteen game against the Cowboys , Owens suffered an ankle injury and was expected to miss the remainder of the season . Mitchell , who suffered a quad contusion during the game , did not make a catch against Dallas , but was named the starter in Owens ' place opposite Pinkston . Against the Rams in week sixteen , Mitchell caught a seven - yard touchdown pass from McNabb in the first quarter and finished the game with two receptions for 28 yards . In the final game of the regular season against the Cincinnati Bengals , Mitchell had six receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown . He finished the season with only 22 catches . In a divisional playoff game against the Vikings on January 16 , 2005 , Mitchell caught a two - yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and celebrated by feigning to pull his pants up , a reference to the touchdown celebration by Vikings ' wide receiver Randy Moss , who pretended to pull his pants down to moon Green Bay fans the week before and was heavily criticized for doing so . Mitchell recovered an L . J . Smith fumble in the endzone for a touchdown in the second quarter , and finished the game with a team - high five receptions for 65 yards . In a press conference after the game , Mitchell said , " I just want to thank my hands for being so great . " He had two receptions for 20 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game on January 23 . In the game , Mitchell sported a well - publicized frohawk . Super Bowl controversy . The Eagles finished the 2004 season with a 13 – 3 record and earned a trip to Super Bowl XXXIX , where they were to play the AFC Champion New England Patriots . During the week leading up to the game , Mitchell sat for a short ESPN interview conducted by Dan Patrick . Asked to identify the members of the Patriots ' secondary , Mitchell claimed he did not know them by name , only by number , and then deliberately stated each of their numbers incorrectly . Finally , he said he " had something " for safety Rodney Harrison . Harrison responded by calling Mitchell a " jerk . " Normally tight - lipped coach Patriots head coach Bill Belichick later said of Mitchell , " [ a ] ll he does is talk . He ' s terrible , and you can print that . I was happy when he was in the game . " Mitchell caught only one pass for 11 yards in the 24 – 21 loss . After the Super Bowl , Mitchell continued to sound off in interviews in which he criticized the Patriots , as well as Belichick , saying that the way the Patriots reacted reminded him of " little girls . " Later career . Mitchell held out from the Eagles ' mini - camp in late April 2005 , with Andy Reid stating , " I did not want him here . " Mitchell was released from the team on May 6 . He finished his career with the Eagles with 90 receptions for 1 , 263 yards and five touchdowns . Mitchell worked out for the Kansas City Chiefs on June 6 , 2005 , following his release from the Eagles . He signed with the Chiefs on June 17 after Az - Zahir Hakim decided against signing with the team . Mitchell did not receive a signing bonus . He began practicing with the team on the last day of mini - camps , June 18 , and received extra practice with the coaches the following week . He suffered a knee injury during practice on July 30 and was scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery the following week , but declined to go through with it . He was released on September 2 due to concerns about his knee . Mitchell elected to have knee surgery on September 6 following his release . Mitchell worked out for several teams after his release from the Chiefs , but did not sign a contract with any of them . He worked out for the Green Bay Packers on October 25 , 2005 , the Dallas Cowboys on August 6 , 2006 , the Cleveland Browns on October 11 , 2006 , the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League on February 11 , 2007 , the Tennessee Titans on July 26 , 2007 , and the Baltimore Ravens on May 29 , 2008 . The Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League expressed interest in signing Mitchell in January 2006 , but president Ron Jaworski , a former Eagles quarterback , had difficulties contacting him . Personal . Mitchell ' s first cousin is former running back Rod Smart , who played on the Eagles with Mitchell in 2001 . Mitchell enjoys country music . Mitchell had several nicknames during his tenure in Philadelphia . These included " Fast Freddie , " the " Sultan of Slot , " " First Down Freddie , " " FredEx " ( claiming he " always delivers " ) , the " People ' s Champ , " and " Hollywood . " Mitchell appeared on " The Tonight Show with Jay Leno " while on UCLA ' s campus , deliberately answering questions incorrectly . He appeared on " A Dating Story " , a reality television show , in May 2002 . In the episode , Mitchell took Tiffany Schmid , a model in the Philadelphia area , to Great Adventure Amusement Park for their date . Mitchell , as well as several other NFL players , received threatening hate mail in 2003 , apparently due to his appearance on the reality show with Schmid as a mixed - race couple at the time . According to sports blog Deadspin ' s editor - in - chief Will Leitch , on November 27 , 2006 , Mitchell served as a substitute teacher at Mishawaka High School in Mishawaka , Indiana . In 2008 , Mitchell returned to Lakeland and bought a local barbecue restaurant called " Brothers ' Bar - B - Que . " In February 2009 , Mitchell was under investigation when a package containing of marijuana was delivered to his business . Mitchell was briefly detained , but was not charged . The restaurant was closed briefly in June for violations , but reopened shortly thereafter . On September 3 , 2009 , the restaurant was closed and Mitchell was named in a suit for failure to make payments on the business . Mitchell officially lost the restaurant in September 2009 after a court ruling . In December 2009 , Mitchell was pulled over for speeding in suburban Philadelphia . Due to an outstanding warrant for failure to pay child support , he was arrested on charges of being a fugitive from justice , and was later released on $ 250 , 000 bail . In January 2011 , Mitchell appeared on Bravo ' s " Millionaire Matchmaker " , a dating show in which Patti Stanger sets millionaires up to find love . Mitchell ' s fiancée left him after Super Bowl XXXIX in February 2005 after they had been together for two years . Mitchell turned himself in to authorities on March 12 , 2012 , after being indicted on federal tax fraud charges . He was arraigned on March 22 on the charges , and a warrant for his arrest in Indiana for failure to pay child support led to his incarceration in Orange County , Florida . In May 2012 , Mitchell filed a lawsuit against a married couple , who were defendants in his previous charges , citing fraud , breach of contract , and intentional infliction of emotional distress . Mitchell pleaded guilty on March 8 , 2013 , to one count of conspiring to file a false tax claim with the federal government . Mitchell was given a 37 - month sentence . Charity Work . Mitchell has worked with a number of Florida - based charities including Ready For Life in Pinellas County , Anchor House Ministries in Polk County , and The Kind Mouse in St . Petersburg , for which he has delivered motivational speeches and participated in community car washes . On May 4 , 2012 , he participated in a charity golfing event to benefit the Palm Beach State College Foundation .