By Tom Behrens
Since becoming a Calgary Stampeder in 2012, Bo Levi Mitchell has appeared in three Grey Cups, winning in 2014 and was game MVP. Last year he won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Award. With him as starter, his team’s record is 55-10-2.
In his senior year at Katy High School, Mitchell passed for 2,451 yards, 37 touchdowns and four interceptions. He began his college career at Southern Methodist University where he had 4,590 yards, 37 touchdowns, but 33 interceptions. The interceptions doomed him as a starter so he transferred to Eastern Washington where he made All-American.
Mitchell in an interview with the Medicine Hat News said he thought the NFL looked at his SMU statistics where he lead the nation in interceptions and passed him over.
After graduating from EWU, “I attended a Stampeder mini-camp. They wanted to sign me right away. I wanted to wait for the NFL draft but nothing happened, so I signed.”
Mitchell’s head coaches in Calgary, John Hufnagel and Dave Dickenson, were outstanding quarterbacks and helped change his approach to preparing the game plan and play calling.
His relationship with his receivers is intense. “Every time we run a route, even if it’s a good route, a good throw, I always want to talk about it and look at it on film. Maybe we could do better. I want to know the reason why the receiver did what he did. That’s where understanding comes from. You then know exactly how he’s going to run his route.”
A year round resident of Calgary, Mitchell has twice won the Herm Harrison Memorial Award for community service. “I’ve lived a very blessed life. I want to give everything I can to help others.”