Professional Football Career
Because he had a Juris Doctor in Law degree, Mix was nicknamed "The Intellectual Assassin" for his physical play. Mix was called for a mere two holding penalties in ten years.
Mix, who was listed at 6' 5" and 270 pounds, was an early proponent of weightlifting to enhance athletic power. He was years ahead of the curve that soon at lineman and other football players taking up that practice to become better athletes. His power lifts included a military press above his head of 300 pounds, a clean and jerk above his head at 325 pounds, and a bench press of 425 pounds, all of the lifts considered to be exceptionally strong for that era of play.
Although the Baltimore Colts picked him number 1 in 1960, he chose to go to the AFL, where he had also been the number 1 draft pick.
He was a factor in the Chargers' early domination of the AFL's Western Division, and in San Diego helped them win an American Football League Championship in 1963, when they defeated the Boston Patriots 51-10 in the championship game.
He was elected to the AFL All-Star team for nine straight years as a Charger, is a member of the All-time All-AFL Team, and is one of only 20 men who played the entire 10 years of the AFL. He was the first Charger to have his number retired in 1969 after he announced he was quitting football after playing injured that season. He earned a law degree from the University of San Diego in 1970. He told the Chargers he wanted play again, but they had found a replacement in Gene Ferguson. After Mix asked to be traded to the New York Jets, San Diego traded him to the Oakland Raiders for two high draft picks in 1970 and 1971. The deal was contingent upon Mix unretiring and agreeing to play for Oakland. He played with the Raiders in 1971. Then-Chargers owner Gene Klein, who hated the Raiders, unretired Mix's number.
He was also the general manager of the WFL Portland Storm in 1974.
He was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. Mix is Jewish, and was also elected a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, being elected to that in 1980. He was the second player from the AFL to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lance Alworth was the first in 1978l
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Famous quotes containing the words professional football, professional, football and/or career:
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—Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke Wellington (1769–1852)
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“From a hasty glance through the various tests I figure it out that I would be classified in Group B, indicating “Low Average Ability,” reserved usually for those just learning to speak the English Language and preparing for a career of holding a spike while another man hits it.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)