Malcolm Mitchell equates Patriots playbook to learning calculus

Retired receiver Malcolm Mitchell, an advocate of developing literacy and reading skills, compared the Patriots playbook to learning advanced calculus.

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity. When he was playing college football at the University of Georgia, Mitchell admits he could only read at a junior-high level. It wasn’t something he cared about correcting, instead choosing to focus all his attention on football and making it into the NFL.

A fourth-round draft pick of the Patriots back in 2016, Mitchell had a solid rookie year that culminated in a terrific performance in Super Bowl LI, where he helped New England storm back from a 25-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. Mitchell caught six passes for 70 yards in that game, and the future looked bright for the tall, strong wide receiver.

Then he missed all of 2017 with a knee injury, and something changed for Mitchell. Forced to spend long months rehabbing and rehabilitating his body while his teammates competed in football games and even went to another Super Bowl, Mitchell discovered a voracious appetite for reading books, and essentially taught himself how to improve his own literacy.

Unfortunately, Mitchell’s lingering knee problems appear to have cost him his NFL future, as he recently announced his official retirement last month. That said, the silver lining is that Mitchell has launched a whole separate career as a children’s book author and as a public advocate for the importance of reading.

While guesting on “The Michael Holley Podcast,” Mitchell was asked about his ability to comprehend the complicated New England offensive playbook, especially given his reported struggles with reading at the time. He acknowledged that he never would have been able to find success as a rookie if he hadn’t worked at improving his reading skills in college and immediately afterward, humorously comparing the Patriots’ playbook to learning “calculus at the highest degree.”

“If I had not improved my reading, which improved my way of thinking, it would have taken me a lot longer to pick up their playbook,” Mitchell said. “There’s no doubt. Because through reading, I’ve picked up these residual skills: memory, everything.”

It’s wonderful to see Mitchell having so much success in his life after football. Most former NFL players struggle while making the adjustment to “civilian life,” if you will – particularly if their careers are cut prematurely short because of injury. Mitchell’s case is a shining example of an individual proving that anything is possible when you work hard to overcome adversity and redefine yourself as necessary.