SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio City Council has taken an important step to honor a local sports legend by renaming Splashtown Drive. This decision comes five years after the closure of the popular water park that once defined the area.
District 2 City Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez proposed the name change in April, suggesting the road be renamed Willie Mitchell Drive in tribute to the NFL legend who hails from the East Side of San Antonio.
Splashtown, originally opened as Waterpark USA in 1985, closed its doors in September 2021. Though the site has since been redeveloped into a car dealership, Splashtown Drive remained, prompting the council’s decision to give the street a new identity that reflects the community’s heritage.
McKee-Rodriguez emphasized the significance of renaming the road, stating, “Willie Mitchell is one of San Antonio’s most outstanding homegrown talents. We honor him and his legacy by adding his name to a street in the very community who shaped, supported, and watched him win an NFL championship.”
According to San Antonio Sports, Mitchell is recognized as one of the top 50 high school football players in the city’s history. He attended Wheatley High School, where he excelled in football before the school closed in 1970.
In 1964, Mitchell was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, quickly making a name for himself as an all-pro cornerback the following year. His contributions were pivotal in leading the Chiefs to the first-ever American Football League World Championship, now known as the Super Bowl, in 1967, where they faced off against the Green Bay Packers.
Mitchell’s career culminated in 1970 when he secured his only championship ring against the Minnesota Vikings. After eight successful seasons with the Chiefs, a trade to the Houston Oilers ended his career prematurely due to knee surgery.
McKee-Rodriguez highlighted Mitchell’s deep ties to the East Side community, asserting that the new street designation would help commemorate his contributions and serve as a reminder of the local talent that has emerged from the area.
