CSNchicago.com - 5 Questions with...Chicago Tribune's Fred Mitchell

BIO: Fred Mitchell is a long-time Chicago Tribune sports columnist who enjoyed a distinguished career as a place-kicking specialist at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.

During the mid-1960s, Mitchell set the NCAA "College Division" record for career points scored by kicking while playing in the Ohio Athletic Conference for the legendary Bill Edwards, who later was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Edwards had previously served as head coach of the Detroit Lions (1941-42) and as an assistant coach to Paul Brown with the Cleveland Browns. It was with the Browns that Edwards tutored Pro Football Hall of Fame kicker Lou Groza.

Mitchell, who was named to the Lutheran College All-America team in 1968, was inducted into Wittenberg's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

Mitchell played semi-pro football with the Columbus Bucks while teaching English and coaching football and track at Grove City (Ohio) High School. One of his players, defensive end Gary Burley, went on to play nine years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons. Burley started in Super Bowl XVI for the Bengals.

Mitchell, who played briefly for the Chicago Heights Broncos, also served as that league's sports information director. In 1999, he was inducted into the American Football Association's Minor League Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

A member of the Wittenberg University Board of Directors, Mitchell received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater in 2000 and was named a Wittenberg Fellow in 2001. The Fred Mitchell Scholarship is awarded annually to the Wittenberg upper-class student who combines athletic and journalistic achievement.

Mitchell has written 10 sports books over his 35-year journalism career, including biographies with Chicago Bears Hall of Fame halfback Gale Sayers and Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame outfielder Billy Williams. He also wrote "Playing Through" with Earl Woods, the late father of PGA champion Tiger Woods and "Then Ditka Said to Payton" with former Bears lineman and Comcast SportsNet on-air personality Dan Jiggetts. Mitchell received the "Jim Murray Award" as the outstanding sportswriter in 2000 from the American Football Foundation.

Involved in numerous civic initiatives, Mitchell has served on the board of Chicago's Metropolitan Family Services and was named to the "Who's Who in Chicagoland" in 1999 by the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Hired in 1974 as the first African-American sportswriter at the Chicago Tribune, Mitchell was honored as a "journalism pioneer" by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in 1997.

Born July 10, 1948, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mitchell grew up in Gary, Ind., earning letters in football, baseball and track, while also serving as the editor-in-chief of the newspaper and yearbook at Tolleston High School, from which he graduated with honors at the age of 16.

Mitchell lives in Chicago with his wife, Kim, and son, Cameron.

1) CSNChicago.com: Fred, as someone who has been following the Chicago Bears for over 25 years and with 2009 training camp opening up this week, the media focus will clearly be on newly-acquired quarterback Jay Cutler. In your opinion, is he the impact player that can take immediate charge of this team and lead them back to the Super Bowl either this season or next?

Mitchell: No question, Jay Cutler possesses the physical skills to generate a potent offense for the Bears and provide them with an assortment of options. My criteria for a great player in any sport are that he lifts and improves the production of the players around him. That, in my view, will be the biggest question, because it won't matter if Cutler throws for 4,500 yards next season if the defense and special teams don't step up their performances, as well.

2) CSNChicago.com: Who do you think is the most deserving player NOT currently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.and the Baseball Hall of Fame for that matter?

Mitchell: From a Chicago perspective, Richard Dent should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Andre Dawson belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame. One of the most quantifiable stats on defense is quarterback sacks. Dent is the Bears' all-time leader in that category and he was the Super Bowl XX MVP while playing on one of the most dominating defenses in NFL history. Dawson was a study in consistency, producing power numbers, base-stealing skill (before suffering knee injuries late in his career) and numerous Gold Gloves. With the selection of Jim Rice in this year's Hall of Fame, I feel Dawson's chances of making it next year are pretty good. Dent has been a finalist for the HOF several times and his time should come soon.

3) CSNChicago.com: Who would you say is your all-time favorite athlete to interview and why?

Mitchell: So many names pop up in my mind when it comes to candid, articulate athletes, coaches and managers who fill up your notebook or tape recorder. From my early years of covering high school sports, the names of Isiah Thomas, Doc Rivers and Tom Thayer come readily to mind. On the Bulls beat in the early '80s, I enjoyed interviewing Jerry Sloan and GM Rod Thorn, as well as players Reggie Theus, Artis Gilmore and David Greenwood. The great talkers on the Cubs teams I covered included Rick Sutcliffe, Dennis Eckersley, Mark Grace, Larry Bowa and Bobby Dernier. As the Bears beat writer, Mike Ditka was the best interview. And players such as Mike Singletary, Steve McMichael, Dan Hampton, Otis Wilson, Keith Van Horne, Kevin Butler and Emery Moorhead made my job easier.

4) CSNChicago.com: Your readers may not know that you were a standout college football player and overall top athlete in your own right back in the day. Can you tell us a little about your personal athletic history and some highlights?

Mitchell: Thought you'd never ask. For starters, this summer is the 50th anniversary of my West Gary Little League team's league championship. Our Tigers team won the pennant and I was named league MVP in 1959 as a second baseman. Several of my former Little League teammates have re-connected over the summer. I went on and played high school baseball, hitting a team-high .382 as a junior, finishing 6th in the city in batting. I also played American Legion baseball. My senior year of high school, I ran track and was a member of the 880-yard relay team that set a state indoor record of 1:32.6 in the University of Chicago Fieldhouse. We ran 1:28.2 outdoors in the conference meet. In football, I was a place-kicker at Gary Tolleston High School and I kicked two game-winning field goals as a senior. At Wittenberg University, I lettered four years in football and I also ran track. I set the NCAA college division record for career points scored by kicking from 1965-68, scoring in 33 straight games. We won the Ohio Athletic Conference title in 1966 and finished with a 28-7 record during my college career. I went on to play some semi-pro football and I coached football and track and taught English at Grove City (Ohio) High School for five years. I was inducted into the Wittenberg Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995 and the American Football Association Minor League Hall of Fame in 1999.

5) CSNChicago.com: As always, you're usually covering something, interviewing someone, writing a book, or gathering information for your "Around Town" column...not to mention your weekly appearances on Comcast SportsNet's Chicago Tribune Live! What does Fred Mitchell do in his downtime?

Mitchell: I enjoy spending time with my family, either at home or traveling. I have a 6-year-old son, Cameron, who keeps me young. We take him to the museum, aquarium or to the park. My wife, Kim, and I enjoy going out to dinner or the movies. I have been fortunate to have a job that corresponds with my main interest - sports. So I watch a lot of sports on television, which can be more enjoyable when I know I don't have a deadline to meet. I also enjoy reading books, both sports and non-sports.

BONUS QUESTION...

CSNChicago.com: Anything you want to plug? Your fans are ready to hear about it.

Mitchell: I am honored and humbled to have a new annual national award named after me beginning with the 2009 college football season, thanks to Chris Kearney, president of the Chicago Chapter of the National Football Foundation. The outstanding Division II or III kicker each year will receive the "Fred Mitchell Award." The criteria includes exceptional community involvement as well as kicking performance. The Selection Committee includes numerous College or Pro Football Hall of Famers, including George Blanda, Kevin Butler, Lou Holtz, Gale Sayers, Paul Hornung and Marv Levy. The annual winner will be given a trophy and his school will receive a scholarship. The award will be given during the NFF ceremony at Halas Hall in February.

CSNChicago.com: Congratulations Fred on a very well-deserved honor and thanks for your time.

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