By Ryan Tipps
D3sports.com

Since the start of the 2007 season, Dickinson quarterback Ian Mitchell has thrown for 1,921 yards and run for 953 more. And he collects money for each yard he gains.

The money isn’t for him, his education or his school. The money is pledged by donors who translate his success on the field into aid for families dealing with cancer.

Even before arriving at Dickinson, Mitchell channeled the well-roundedness that is prevalent in Division III and displayed traits seen in student-athletes: initiative, commitment and philanthropy. During Mitchell’s senior season at Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania, his close friend, neighbor and childhood football teammate, Evan Brady, passed away after a battle with cancer.

Brady, a year older than Mitchell, was diagnosed with the disease as a freshman in high school. It wasn’t always clear how long Brady had to live.

Ian Mitchell's total offense puts the Dickinson quarterback on the offensive against cancer. Dickinson athletics photo

“At one point, the doctors I believe told him he had about six months, and he still lived over a year past that,” Mitchell recalls.

He died a week into Mitchell’s senior season, but an effort to raise money to help cancer patients was already in the works.

“I decided in his memory I was going to start this charity, which people would donate a certain amount of money for every yard I gained, passing and rushing combined,” said Mitchell, 20.

That first year, the money went to a charity called Camp Can-Do, which is part of the American Cancer Society. There, children between the ages of 8 and 17 with cancer were able to take their minds off of their treatments and live as care-free kids. Mitchell helped raise $10,000 in donations for the camp that season.

“Whenever I would go, I would go to donate the money and meet everybody,” he said. “Most of the time I was dealing with the parents, and they were really grateful.”

As an example, he said, people would pledge 1 cent for every yard he gained. If he combined to rush and pass for 2,000 yards, he would get a $20 donation.

Mitchell didn’t seek donations his freshman year at Dickinson, not knowing how much time he would see on the gridiron. But last season, as a sophomore, he picked it back up, raising $11,000 or $12,000, he said. Also in 2007 was the first EvanFest, an event that helps raise money for children who have cancer.

And it wasn’t until last month when Mitchell told Brady’s parents that the money he was raising this season would be given to EvanFest.

Brady, though, isn’t the only person close to Mitchell to have died from cancer. Two of Mitchell’s grandparents were taken by the disease, further contributing to the quarterback’s desire to help others who are similarly affected.

Cancer, Mitchell said, “has taken three people out of my life who are really important. Those three combined added up to me and my dad coming up with this charity.”

He said the charity efforts have been therapeutic, and he hopes to keep in touch with Brady’s family for many years. He also hopes to encourage people to do what he’s doing, to use their talents to help people who aren’t as fortunate. He doesn’t want graduation to be the end of his efforts.

“Once my playing days are over, I’m, if I can, going to run this exact charity.”

Mitchell’s style on the field is aggressive and hard-nosed; he’s never one to shy from a tackle. He has stepped into his challenges off the field in the same manner.

“It makes me feel like I’m helping in some way,” he said, “so that families maybe won’t have to go through what Evan’s family went through.”

If you would like to donate, e-mail Ian at mitcheli@dickinson.edu. Please include how much you would like to pledge and the best way for Ian to contact you.

Logan Smyth stepped in front of a Josh Vogelbach pass in Averett's streak-ending win. Averett photo by David Conner II

And the game that coach Mike Dunlevy called a true team effort came in front of the home crowd.

“I think if you look at the stats, we had … (several) receivers who had catches, some for big yardage; Dontavius (Watson) did a great job for us at tailback; another kid had about 80 yards; it was a good team effort with the win,” Dunlevy said. “And that was what we needed.”

Guilford was 2-0 on the season entering the matchup. Averett had lost 11 straight, including a lopsided defeat at the hands of Bridgewater in Week 1.

This win “was good for our kids,” Dunlevy said. “They played hard in the first game, we just didn’t play smart to win that game. … We needed this win. I think that’s all we lacked right now was confidence that we can win a football game.”

Averett seamlessly subbed in former starter Shan Fairbanks after losing signal-caller Philip Kwiatkowski in the third quarter. The two combined to connect with six receivers, totaling 172 yards through the air. Watson scampered for half of the team’s total rushing yardage, including two touchdown runs that came from more than 10 yards out.

Defensively, the Cougars fended off a fourth-quarter Guilford rally and picked off Quaker quarterback Josh Vogelbach three times throughout the day. Linebacker Logan Smyth had one of those interceptions as well as 11 tackles.

Dunlevy said the bye week in Week 2 helped give Averett an edge.

“Our kids are really playing hard, we just made a lot of mental mistakes in that first game,” he said. “And when you get two weeks, that allows you to work on a lot of the mental things that we needed to work on, especially with an offense like Guilford’s.”