Next to Riggo, Bobby Mitchell is one of my all-time favorite Redskins. I learned a great deal about him in my grad-school days. I did a research project on the integration of the Redskins, and as many of you know, our team was shamefully the last NFL franchise to integrate its roster. Although technically not the first African-American on the roster he is widely recognized as the first. I’ll save the history for later posts, but for those interested in it, ESPN reproduced historian Thomas G. Smith’s great research article Civil Rights on the Gridiron, which chronicles the story. I can say from my research that in addition to being one the best players ever in the NFL, Bobby Mitchell is also one the greatest human beings ever involved in the game. To a man, all the people I interviewed and contacted had nothing but high accolades for Mitchell the man.

For 18 years, Bobby Mitchell has organized and hosted a golf tournament to benefit research for a cure for leukemia and lymphoma. Mithcell's inspiration for this charity stems from the circumstances of his trade to the Redskins from the Cleveland Browns. The Redskins drafted Heisman Trophy winning running back Ernie Davis from Syracuse and then traded him to the Browns for Mitchell. Sadly, Davis developed leukemia and never played a down in the NFL.

Mitchell routinely gets some of the most famous players from the NFL and NBA to play in the tournament. Over the years, the tournament has raised nearly $6 million for research.

This year’s Bobby Mitchell/Toyota Hall of Fame Golf Classic will be at Landsdowne Resort July 12-13. See here for a list of Hall of Fame participants, which include Art Monk and Darrell Green. The Saturday practice round is closed to the public. Saturday night there will a banquet and silent auction. Tickets to the gallery for the Sunday round are $5. In addition to the gallery admission, fans can enter a challenge to win tickets to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio for the enshrinement of Monk and Green.

Click here for directions to Landsdowne.

Bobby Mitchell/Toyota Hall of Fame Classic info:

On Sunday, July 13th, Hall of Famers will tee off at Lansdowne. For a five-dollar donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the public can come out and cheer for their favorite sports legend as well as compete in a contest to win a trip to the Hall of Fame!

Gallery tickets can be purchased on the day of the event at Lansdowne Resort and children under the age of 12 are admitted free. This year, a brand-new, hip, eco-friendly 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid will be given away through the tournament raffle. To purchase tickets and help raise money for the cause, please call The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at (703) 960-1100 or email Loree Lipstein.

Topics: Bobby Mitchell , Hall of Fame , Golf Tournament

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