Mitch Foote sits on a chair in the lobby of the HPER building at Emporia State. His backpack is next to him, but he holds something in his hands while he waits for class; a football. The senior wide receiver spins and flips the ball, his fingers tracing the laces. He never once drops it.
Foote has caught a lot of footballs in his life. He began his playing career in the third grade as a receiver on a team called The Chisholm Longhorns.
“My grandmother signed me up for it, I wasn’t even really wanting to play at first to be honest. She just signed me up and I decided to go forward with it and ever since then I just kind of fell in love with it,” said Foote.
After a decorated career at Enid High School (Oklahoma) that saw him finish as the all-time reception leader with 102 catches for 1,552 yards and 19 touchdowns, Foote chose to continue his football career at Emporia State.
“It was definitely the best decision I could have made, not only for me but for my family,” said Foote.
It was clear that Foote had the talent and athleticism to succeed at the next level, but he took a little time to adjust.
“I think it was a huge difference because now, everyone is good,” said Foote. “I think the biggest thing was just the speed, you know everybody in college is just a little bit faster, a little bit quicker. Learning from players like Ray Ray [Davis] and Austin Willis definitely helped me prepare myself for what’s at hand now.”
Foote’s studies paid off as he saw the ball coming his way more often as an upperclassman.
“Not until my junior year, I don’t think I really started to feel like I was contributing to the team in the way I needed to,” said Foote.
Last year as a junior he caught 79 passes for 877 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning First-Team All MIAA honors.
“Mitch has matured a lot,” said Emporia State head football coach Garin Higgins. “He always had great ability, we always knew he had great talent but he’s grown so much as a person and a leader. It’s really nice to see how he’s progressed and the type of player that he is.”
In just 6 games this season, Foote has 7 touchdowns. Perhaps the biggest one thus far came in a double overtime win over 13th-ranked Central Missouri. Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Braxton Marstall connected with Foote for the game winning score.
“If it’s third down, I’m probably throwing it to Mitch,” said Marstall. “Throwing it to him in any situation is usually a good option, doesn’t matter if he’s covered really, he’s just going to make a play and do what Mitch Foote does.”
Establishing himself as a leader, Foote’s teammates and coaches can rely on him in big game situations. Much of that trust and confidence stems from the preparation Foote has put into the game over the years.
“He goes out there to practice each and every day focusing on his craft and being the best player he can be,” said Higgins. “I think that shows when he goes out on the field and makes those spectacular catches. He’s talented. He’s got one of the best sets of hands that I’ve really coached.”
With those set of hands and Foote’s work ethic combined, a shot at professional football could be in his future.
“There’s been multiple NFL teams in here to take a look at him but I know one thing about Mitch is that he doesn’t talk about it, we don’t talk about it. He’s just focusing in on what he needs to do to make his team better,” said Higgins.
While continuing his football career at the professional level may be a realistic goal for Foote, he tries to stay in the moment.
“If you don’t love the game, I don’t see the point of really playing it,” said Foote. “It’s been great to me over these years. I’m enjoying every moment and just trying to make the most of it.”
