The Trojans of old were known to worship the sun god Apollo. Alas, that didn’t prevent them from being burned by TCU’s Basil Mitchell in the 1998 Sun Bowl.
With the Horned Frogs leading 7–0 in the first quarter, Mitchell took a pitch right from quarterback Patrick Batteux. After some fine initial blocks near the line of scrimmage, Mitchell turned on the jets and raced 60 yards down the sideline and into the end zone.
For the game, Mitchell rushed for 185 yards on just 19 carries as TCU defeated USC, 28–19, for its first bowl win in 41 years.
At the professional level, Mitchell had a cup of coffee with the Green Bay Packers (1999-2000) before his career was curtailed by injuries. He currently works in sales and community outreach for Sandlin Motors — located in his hometown of Mt. Pleasant, Texas — while also serving as a motivational author, consultant and speaker for student athletes.
Mitchell and his wife, Sharay, have five children.
