Keith Mitchell, a New Orleans Saints standout who also played for two other NFL teams, died Thursday, July 2, the team announced in a statement.
The Saints remembered Mitchell as a team legend who beat long odds after an outstanding college career at Texas A&M.
Mitchell, listed at 6-foot-2 and about 235 pounds, signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He made the 53-man roster and played in all 16 games as a rookie, contributing on defense and special teams.
By 1998, the Garland, Texas, native had moved into the starting lineup. In 1999, he started all 16 games and led the team with a career-high 104 tackles.
His best NFL season came in 2000, when the Saints won the NFC West and earned the franchise’s first playoff victory. Mitchell had 94 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two defensive touchdowns, and four fumble recoveries that season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and named a Sports Illustrated All-Pro.
His 90-yard fumble return against Carolina remains the longest fumble return in Saints franchise history.
Mitchell played for New Orleans from 1997 through 2001. He later played for the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Before the NFL, Mitchell was part of Texas A&M’s famed "Wrecking Crew" defense from 1993 to 1996. He had 34 career sacks for the Aggies and was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
After football, Mitchell built a second chapter as a motivational speaker, wellness coach, and certified master yoga instructor. He turned to yoga and mindfulness after a football-related spinal injury and later worked with veterans, children, and trauma survivors through his Light It Up Foundation.
He also wrote "The Mindfulness Mastery Playbook" in 2025.
The Saints said they extend their sympathies to Mitchell’s family and loved ones.
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