OWENSBORO, KY - Xavier Mitchell is the next former Panther and accomplished professional in our series. Mitchell spent four years playing professional football overseas after leaving his fingerprints all over the KWC record books from 2011-2015.
 
Looking back, it seems as if Xavier was destined to have a career overseas, as he was born in Landstuhl, Germany. His family settled in Clarksville, Tennessee soon after at Fort Campbell Army Base. He attended and played football at West Creek High School before accepting an offer to play football at Wesleyan.
 
"My high school career wasn't the best by any stretch of imagination," Mitchell said. "It was the best thing for me because it fueled me for my collegiate and professional career. I felt like I had to prove to not only myself, but to everyone, that I had what it took to play and thrive for whoever I played for."
 
Mitchell redshirted his first season in Owensboro in 2011, knowing he needed time to learn and adjust to the college game. He also had to adjust to his new frame, as he grew nearly six inches since graduating high school. Now standing at six-foot, two-inches, Xavier contributed on special teams throughout his redshirt freshman season, before having a breakout game against Saint Joseph's on October 27^th, 2012. Having yet to record his first collegiate catch prior to the contest, Mitchell hauled in seven catches for 82 yards on the day.
 
His performance was a sign of things to come, although it wasn't until the 2014 season that everything would come to fruition for Xavier. After having a solid redshirt sophomore season, where Mitchell finished with 31 receptions for 393 yards and two touchdowns, the West Creek alum put it all together for an impressive redshirt junior season.
 
Mitchell would burst onto the scene, finishing with 63 catches, 1,152 yards, nine touchdowns, and an 83-yard kickoff return touchdown. He exceeded the 100-yard receiving mark in six games, including a crazy 225-yard performance on October 18^th. Xavier gave praise to former teammates Dalton Oliver and Keelan Cole, as well as former Wide Receivers Coach/Offensive Coordinator Donte Pimpleton for his success.
 
"Playing with Dalton and Keelan were some of the best years of my career," Mitchell said. "The connection the three of us had is hard to put into words, but a legendary one none the less. We all can give a ton of credit to Coach Pimpleton who was our Receivers Coach for a year and the Offensive Coordinator the next."
 
Mitchell had another huge year in his final season that cemented his legacy as a Panther. 84 catches were enough to beat Cole's record, which he had set the season before, for most receptions in a season in Kentucky Wesleyan football history which still stands to this day.
 
While training for the NFL regional combine, Mitchell was contacted by the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes. The former Wesleyan wide         receiver jumped at the opportunity to take his talents overseas to Kiel, Germany to play in the     German Football League (GFL).
 
    "How that happened was so organic, it seemed like destiny for me to go," Mitchell said. "The flight to     Germany and the regional combine were in the same week…I decided to accept the Hurricanes offer,     forgoing my opportunity to work out in front of all 32 NFL teams. Playing professionally overseas     was one of the best moments of my life. The friends, experiences, and moments I made are     absolutely priceless."
 
    His decision seemed to pay off immediately, as Mitchell accumulated 168 catches, 4,293 total yards,     and 35 touchdowns in his first two seasons. Xavier led his team to the GFL semi-finals in both     seasons, while leading the entire league in receiving in 2017. His outstanding seasons led to interest     from many other leagues in Europe.
 
Soon after his second season with the Hurricanes, Mitchell accepted an offer to sign with the Milano Seamen of the Italian Football League (IFL). He was extremely successful once again, tearing IFL defenses apart. The former Panther led the league in receiving, all-purpose yards, and touchdowns, won the IFL Most Valuable Player Award, and led the Seamen to an undefeated championship. He followed up a nearly perfect season by leading Milano to another IFL title in 2019, finishing his Italian career 23-0 in games he was active.
 
"Coming to Milan was by far one of the best decisions I have ever made," Mitchell said. "Winning back-to-back championships in Italy was the cherry on top of a 20-year career. I couldn't imagine a better way to go out. I never lost a game in Italy that I appeared in, and I take even more pride in that."
 
Mitchell originally signed with the New Yorker Lions, one of the most premier American football teams in all of Europe, in March of 2020 before his plans were derailed due to the Covid-19 shutdown. Xavier has received numerous professional offers since but decided that it was time for him to hang up his cleats and focus on life after football.
 
"I've received multiple offers every year to return, but now I have a family and a business that I own with my girlfriend," Mitchell said. "I know there's more to be done here in Owensboro that can grow my life exponentially compared to going back to playing football."
 
 
What advice do you have to players who signed to play football at Wesleyan in the Fall:
"My advice is to 'take your time but be quick at the same time'. It took me 22 games to get my first start. It takes a ton of patience, resilience, and persistence. You can go to the highest level from any school, it doesn't matter where you play, it matters how you play."
 

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