High School Hero to College Star: Mitch Mustain [2023 Update]

Mitchell Stewart Mustain, famously known as Mitch Mustain, is an American-born former professional football player. Sadly, his professional football journey was short-lived, and he had to announce his retirement without much achievement.

Mitch aimed to enter the NFL like every young American football player. He enlisted for the 2011 draft, but no club wanted him, and as a result, he moved to football leagues other than the NFL.

Consequently, he spent some years in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Arena Football League (AFL) before he ended his football career in 2014.

Many people might not know this, but Mitch was considered one of the best quarterbacks of the 2006 class and hence among the top prospects while getting into college.

Unfortunately, it all changed soon, and he went into oblivion, leaving no memorable legacy behind despite showing remarkable promise in his initial days. So, what exactly went wrong?

Know more about him in the article below. But before we proceed, here are some quick facts you should check out.

Quick Facts

Early Life & Education

Mitch Mustain was born to his parents, Gary F. Mustain and Beck Campbell, on February 27, 1998, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. 

Mitch grew up in Arkansas with his little brother, Matthew, who was born two years later.

Unfortunately, his dad and mom could not get along well, leading to their divorce in 1992. Consequently, Mitch and his brother started living with their mother.

The court ordered their father, Gary, to pay for child support. In 2006, Gary was arrested and jailed for failing to provide for their sons.

Returning to their childhood, Gary had a tough time growing up. Despite all hardships, Gary excelled in studies and sports.

He attended Springdale High School in Springdale, where he played baseball and football.

After graduation, he joined the University of Arkansas for higher studies.

However, Mustain later transferred to the University of Southern California, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in International Relations in 2010.

Career

High School & College Career

Mitch attended two high schools: Southwest Junior High School and Springdale High School in Arkansas. Although he had already shown exceptional athletic abilities in his previous school, he shone at Springdale.

Mustain became Arkansas Mr. Football and won the Hall Award for being the National High School Player of the Year after his senior season.

Being one of the top players in the state, many universities sought after him.

He eventually enrolled at the University of Arkansas and committed to play for the Razorbacks. While Mitch was a decent baseball pitcher in high school, he focused on football in college.

However, things did not go as planned with Arkansas, so Mitch later played for the USC Trojans until his college graduation in 2010.

Professional Career

Sadly, Mitch’s performance throughout his college years was far from impressive. Consequently, no NFL teams chose him in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he went undrafted.

He then signed a 10-day contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. However, he could not win them over, so they released him on June 10, 2011.

Following that unfortunate episode, he returned to the States and played for various AFL teams, such as Georgia Force, San Jose SaberCats, and San Antonio Talons, until 2014, but without much success.

 In the meantime, he briefly had a minor-league baseball career as well.

The Identity Theft of Mitch Mustain

It was pretty unexpected for all football fans to see Mitch Mustain’s downfall as a football player in the most bizarre way. Not long after joining the Razorbacks, Mitch had an 8-0 record as a true freshman starter.

However, that all changed when the then Razorbacks’ head coach Houston Nutt benched him and chose the sophomore Casey Dick as the starting quarterback for the team in November 2006.

Mitch joined Arkansas after his high school coach Gus Malzahn was recruited as the offensive coordinator.

Contrary to Mitch’s expectation, Malzahn’s role was minimal, so he could do nothing to help Mitch out when Nutt benched him.

Malzahn transferred to the University of Tulsa as things worsened, and Mitch wanted to follow him there. However, the head coach Nutt denied it.

Mitch eventually had to transfer to the University of Southern California to continue his college career as Nutt, and he could not reconcile after the beef.

Mitch never understood why Nutt did that to him when he was clearly at his best while playing for Arkansas then.

However, Nutt remarked that he chose another player over him as Mitch lacked experience.

In 2013, when Mitch had no chance of redeeming his failing career, a documentary named The Identity Theft of Mitch Mustain was released. The documentary film, directed by Matthew Wolffe, focuses on the reasons behind Mitch’s downfall.

Age & Body Measurements

Mitch Mustain is currently 35 years old.

About his body measurements, he is recorded as 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) tall and weighs around 200 lb (91 kg).

However, considering that he has been away from both field and the public eye for many years, he might have gained some weight.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

Was Mitch Mustain one of the Springdale 5?

Yes, Mitch Mustain was one of the Springdale 5. In the early 2000s, the five Springdale High School players, Mitch, Damian Williams, Bartley Webb, Ben Cleveland, and Andrew Norman, often made headlines for their athletic prowess. For that reason, college coaches across the country talked highly of them, and they were sort of budding stars. Quite surprisingly, only Damian Williams, among them, played in the NFL.

What is Mitch Mustain's net worth?

Mitch Mustain did not earn much from his professional football career, so his net worth was not much up for discussion in the media. Hence, there is no information about his net worth.

What is Mitch Mustain doing now?

Nobody exactly knows what Mitch Mustain is doing now. However, in an interview with the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2015, he said he was in the fire service department and preparing to enter the U.S. Navy.

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