Junior cornerback Quinyon Mitchell was thrust into the national spotlight after he intercepted four passes at Northern Illinois in 2022.
Rocket Spotlight On...Quinyon Mitchell
9/6/2023 11:00:00 AM | Football
On growing up in smalltown Florida, grayshirting and remaining "Quinyon"
Junior cornerback Quinyon Mitchell enters the 2023 season as one of the most heralded players in the Mid-American Conference. He is on preseason watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award (Outstanding Defensive Player), the Bronko Naguarki Trophy (Top Defensive Player) and the Jim Thorpe Award (Top Defensive Back). He burst on the national scene last season when he intercepted four passes in a 52-32 win at Northern Illinois, two of them for pick-sixes. For his efforts, he was named ESPN Sports Center Defensive Player of the Day. He was named second-team All-America by Walter Camp and third-team All-America by the Associated Press, becoming Toledo's first All-America cornerback in over 50 years.
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On how his life changed after NIU game
I feel like my life did change but I tried to remain me and stay humble and work hard every day. I try to stay the same and go about my day as just Quinyon.
On people wanting to get closer to him since he became well-known
I got a lot more attention from people on the outside but I try not to focus on that.
On how his teammates view him
They would say I'm someone who comes in the building every day and just works hard.
On what life was like growing up
I come from Williston, Florida. It's a small town so everyone knows everyone there. My family is a very football-orientated family. I've always played football. I started when I was either six or seven years old. Football is an extremely important part of my life. Since I was six years old, everything I did revolved around football. Football has helped me become the man I am today. If it weren't for football I probably wouldn't have gone to college. Playing college football has always been on my mind. It has always been something I've wanted to do.
On learning from veteran players
When I first got here, I had to work really hard. Guys like Tycen Anderson, Sam Womack, Justin Clark and Chris McDonald showed me that playing football at this level is a big deal and you have to work hard. Coming from a small town, these are the types of guys I try to be like.
On why he chose Toledo
I chose Toledo because of the relationship and loyalty that Coach Candle and the rest of the staff showed me since day one. They have been on my side in every situation.
On challenges when he first started playing college football
In my first season I had to gray shirt, so I had to sit out a semester before I came here. Being gray-shirted was a very humbling experience. It made me keep my head down and work. Â That was a hard time. I had to stay on track and stay focused. That first semester, I was back home in Florida grinding every day. I was working out every day, going to the field to get practice in. I had to stay focused. It was not easy in any way. There were distractions thrown at me from every direction. One moment I was being recruited to play college football and the next moment I was back at home which really put things in perspective for me. It reminded me that I just had to continue to work hard.
On his football future after his college playing days are over
I really haven't looked that far yet. I've been taking things day by day, week by week and just focusing on what I'm doing right now.
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On how his life changed after NIU game
I feel like my life did change but I tried to remain me and stay humble and work hard every day. I try to stay the same and go about my day as just Quinyon.
On people wanting to get closer to him since he became well-known
I got a lot more attention from people on the outside but I try not to focus on that.
On how his teammates view him
They would say I'm someone who comes in the building every day and just works hard.
On what life was like growing up
I come from Williston, Florida. It's a small town so everyone knows everyone there. My family is a very football-orientated family. I've always played football. I started when I was either six or seven years old. Football is an extremely important part of my life. Since I was six years old, everything I did revolved around football. Football has helped me become the man I am today. If it weren't for football I probably wouldn't have gone to college. Playing college football has always been on my mind. It has always been something I've wanted to do.
On learning from veteran players
When I first got here, I had to work really hard. Guys like Tycen Anderson, Sam Womack, Justin Clark and Chris McDonald showed me that playing football at this level is a big deal and you have to work hard. Coming from a small town, these are the types of guys I try to be like.
On why he chose Toledo
I chose Toledo because of the relationship and loyalty that Coach Candle and the rest of the staff showed me since day one. They have been on my side in every situation.
On challenges when he first started playing college football
In my first season I had to gray shirt, so I had to sit out a semester before I came here. Being gray-shirted was a very humbling experience. It made me keep my head down and work. Â That was a hard time. I had to stay on track and stay focused. That first semester, I was back home in Florida grinding every day. I was working out every day, going to the field to get practice in. I had to stay focused. It was not easy in any way. There were distractions thrown at me from every direction. One moment I was being recruited to play college football and the next moment I was back at home which really put things in perspective for me. It reminded me that I just had to continue to work hard.
On his football future after his college playing days are over
I really haven't looked that far yet. I've been taking things day by day, week by week and just focusing on what I'm doing right now.
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Players Mentioned
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