Mitchells Seize Opportunities With Georgia Southern Men's Tennis
Brothers Jacob and Matthew follow in familial footsteps athletically and in the classroom
10/27/2023
Jacob and Matthew Mitchell are more than just brothers and teammates on the Georgia Southern men's tennis team. They're part of an Eagle family legacy that crosses generations and sports, and also a part of a tremendous academic success that will see both brothers leave Statesboro with multiple college degrees when their eligibility is up as Eagle student-athletes.
The parents of the brothers, Jennifer and Patrick Mitchell, both graduated from Georgia Southern. Patrick was a student-athlete for the Eagles, but in the sport of soccer, playing four seasons from 1989 through 1993 on the squad. Patrick's brother, Mike, also played for the school as well from 1984-85.
So how did the brothers end up playing tennis collegiately instead of soccer?
"We grew up playing soccer until I was nine," Jacob says. "Then I started playing tennis a little bit, it was pretty random. Just trying other things. I played both of them for a couple of years, then around 11, I switched fully for tennis."
"It was the same thing for me," Matthew says. "Our oldest brother, Garrett - all three of us played soccer growing up, I think I was about six at the time. Garrett started playing tennis, so Jacob started playing, and so did I. I loved it. And after a couple of years playing both, I chose to just go with tennis."
Living in Vidalia, Ga., however, there weren't a lot of places to play tennis. Jacob recalls that there's only four public courts in the town. That wasn't a problem for the Mitchells, though.
"We actually had a court installed in our back yard when I was around 12 or 13," Jacob says. "My parents believed that it was going to be one of the best ways for us to get into college athletics, and it paid off. They worked really hard to put it in, and we worked really hard once it was there."
Despite the family connection, it wasn't a sure thing that Jacob and Matthew were going to end up at Georgia Southern.
"I didn't know where I wanted to go," Jacob says. "But in the end, when it came time to decide, Georgia Southern was just the place that spoke to me."
"I was leaning here throughout most of the recruiting process," Matthew said of his college choice, since Jacob had already been in Statesboro for two years. "But when I came on my visit and met the team, I really fell in love with it."
Athletically, Jacob is a senior who still has his another year of eligibility remaining. Academically, however, Jacob has already graduated with his bachelor's degree in public relations and he's currently working on his master's degree in professional communication and leadership. Matthew, meanwhile, is a sophomore athletically who will graduate with his bachelor's degree in accounting this coming May.
What drove the brothers to pursue such an accelerated degree track?
"Our mom set it up nicely through dual enrollment to come in ahead," Jacob says. "She graduated herself from Georgia Southern in three years, but that's because she's just really smart. For me, I'm going to be able to get my undergrad and master's degrees while still playing tennis."
"I started college classes in the ninth grade," Matthew says. "I was doing the quarter system, so I could take two classes each quarter. I came in to Georgia Southern with 72 credit hours from four years built over time. I got here, and my first year of classes were technically junior classes, since I was already past the core classes. I'll have my master's within my four years of eligibility."
And what does the future hold for the Mitchells after graduation?
"So I'm an accounting major," Matthew says. "My plan right now is to get my master's in accounting, and towards the end of my senior year, study for the CPA exam. I'll get my CPA license when I graduate and hopefully work for a public firm. I should have a couple of summer internships under my belt by then, and my end goal is to be a CFO or a partner of a public firm."
"That's a great question," Jacob says. "It's still a little ways away for me. I'm thinking about getting my real estate license - that's what my dad does. Maybe follow in his footsteps. But I'm just looking forward to wherever life takes me."
From such an early age, Jacob and Matthew have always been teammates on the court. And now almost a decade later, the pair are still practicing every day together.
"It was really cool coming in," Matthew says. "Because I had a mentor and somebody that I could go to with questions, and somebody I could look up to on the team. It was like when we were kids, playing against each other every day."
Both Jacob and Matthew are excited about what the Eagles will be able to accomplish on the court in 2023-24.
"I think it's going to be a good year, I'm really excited about it," Jacob says. "We've got five of the same guys in the lineup back, and everyone's making such a good impact. I love what Coach is doing so far, putting us in the right direction."
"We have a good team, and now we have some really good guidance," Matthew says. "Coach Andrew is doing some really good things and everyone's working super hard."
"It's going to be a lot of fun," Jacob says.
