Mike Mitchell said he has always played the game with emotion. He said his favorite players growing up played that way, especially Ray Lewis. And he’s not about to change now, even if it means morphing mindlessly into a premature celebration after one of his bone-jarring hits caused a fumble against the Oakland Raiders.
Mitchell, a sixth-year free safety with the Steelers, wasn’t the only player guilty of celebrating a play that wasn’t over against the Raiders. Roosevelt Nix, a backup fullback, caused a fumble by Taiwan Jones with a big hit on a kick return and began celebrating while the ball was still live and uncovered on the field.