The list of injuries is so long, former Oak Grove receiver Jordan Mitchell can’t remember what injury prevented him from seeing the field in 2017. It was his back that kept him out in 2016, but he genuinely couldn’t recall what the issue was last season.
“It’s been so much,” the Southern Miss wideout said.
When asked if he remembers any details that knocked him out, he paused to think about it.
“I really don’t even remember,” Mitchell said. “There’s been so many.”
The redshirt junior saw meaningful snaps during his freshman season in 2015, but he saw more snaps Saturday against Jackson State than he did in 2016 and 2017 combined.
“It definitely felt good,” Mitchell said. “It’s been a while. Now we have to look forward to (Louisiana Monroe) this week and hopefully, we can put a lot more points on the board like we did last week.
“I definitely woke up (Sunday) sore. I ran a lot of plays, but it was definitely worth it. That’s something you like to have a feeling of. Anytime you want to get better, you’re ready to get back out there to get that feeling again.”
The countless cycle of getting an injury, recovering and working his way back to the practice field was getting frustrating, but he never thought his career at Southern Miss was finished. The hardest part was just learning how to stay healthy, Mitchell said, and the comeback story started Saturday in the 55-7 win.
Late in the second quarter, as Southern Miss led 31-0, quarterback Jack Abraham lofted a pass in Mitchell’s direction. The Hattiesburg native caught the over-the-shoulder pass to push the lead to a commanding 38-0 advantage.
He finished the game with four receptions for 18 yards.
“I thought that was a phenomenal play he made,” Southern Miss offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said Monday. “Obviously, it was a good throw and catch, and that’s what you see with Jordan in practice a lot. You just have to get him to the game and healthy, and he’s a healthy kid right now so he can make those plays right now.”
From Dawson’s point of view, he never sensed frustration from Mitchell, other than the obvious natural irritation from suffering injury after injury.
“Jordan’s off-the-field beliefs and his personality and character, probably puts him in a place where he doesn’t get frustrated with many things in life,” Dawson said.
Mitchell credited his teammates and family for helping him stay encouraged about the situation. He also gave credit to Mitchell Williams, Southern Miss’ campus director for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In 2016, when Mitchell was not practicing and taking a redshirt, the two spent a lot of time together on the practice field. Williams put positive thoughts in Mitchell’s ear, and it helped him stay grounded and realize it was just a setback.
“I haven’t done it by myself,” he said. “There have been a lot of people who have helped me push to not give up.”
