Former NFL linebacker Keith Mitchell has died at 51, according to an announcement by Texas A&M athletics on Thursday. No cause of death was disclosed. Mitchell signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997 and spent five seasons with the franchise, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2000. He later played for the Houston Texans in 2002 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003 before retiring. Across 94 NFL games, Mitchell recorded 408 tackles and 19.5 sacks. In a statement, the New Orleans Saints said they were “saddened to learn of the passing of team legend Keith Mitchell,” noting that he “beat the odds” to make the roster after being signed as an undrafted free agent. Texas A&M inducted Mitchell into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015. Mitchell’s NFL career ended after he suffered a spinal injury during a 2003 game that left him paralyzed. He later embraced yoga and wellness, crediting the practice with saving his life, and published The Mindfulness Mastery Playbook late last year.
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