Former Falcons tight end losing eyesight, independence

ATLANTA - Jim ``Meat&#39;&#39; Mitchell could have been the poster boy for toughness as a tight end for the Atlanta Falcons in the 1970s. <br> <br> He could catch a spiraling pass that was in his face the instant he made a move on a defender. <br> <br> Now, at age 54, he would have tremendous difficulty even seeing a football coming his way. Glaucoma, a disease marked by increased pressure within the eyeball, is slowly robbing him of his eyesight and a large part of his independence. He also suffers from diabetes. <br> <br> A man so athletic and tough that he was voted the Falcons&#39; 1970 player of the year now needs help just getting around town. <br> <br> Mitchell says, ``It&#39;s a humbling experience. I&#39;m a guy who is used to doing everything for myself.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Three eye surgeries in the past six years have afforded Mitchell little more than periods of hope followed by disappointment. <br> <br> For the most part, he&#39;s confined to his modest house in southwest Atlanta. When he ventures outside occasionally to take a walk along a familiar path, his ears become almost as important as his eyes. <br> <br> He says his hearing is keener now, that he sometimes hears cars he doesn&#39;t see. <br> <br> Mitchell gave up driving four years ago after a collision in a parking lot with a woman in a wheelchair. He hasn&#39;t had a job since 1995, when Morris Brown ousted its coaching staff. He still hopes to find work. <br> <br> Paid $175,000 at the height of his eleven-year playing career with the Falcons, Mitchell now gets by on a three-figure monthly NFL pension and Social Security.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/5/195035