John Mitchell, Jr. (born October 14, 1951) is an American football coach and former collegiate player. Over the course of his career, Mitchell has broken several racial barriers, one of which was being the first black player for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Currently, he is the assistant head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Dock Rone was the first official black player for Alabama in 1966 according to ESPN's SEC TV.