San Antonio City Council approved renaming Splashtown Drive to Willie Mitchell Drive to honor the Wheatley High School graduate and Super Bowl champion. The change reflects Mitchell's legacy and connection to the East Side community.
- Splashtown Drive between Interstate 35 and Copeland Drive was renamed Willie Mitchell Drive on October 1.
- The renaming was initiated by District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez after Splashtown water park closed in 2021.
- Willie Mitchell, born in 1940, played eight seasons of professional football, mainly with the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Mitchell appeared in Super Bowl I and won Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs.
- He contributed to the community by helping establish San Antonio Fighting Back, focusing on leadership and mentorship.
From Wheatley High School to Super Bowl IV, Willie Mitchell’s Football Legacy Now Has a Permanent Place on San Antonio’s East Side
A piece of San Antonio’s East Side will now permanently carry the name of one of its own.
The San Antonio City Council approved the renaming of Splashtown Drive to Willie Mitchell Drive on Oct. 1, honoring the Wheatley High School graduate who went from the East Side to professional football and became a Super Bowl champion.
The name change applies to Splashtown Drive between Interstate 35 and Copeland Drive.
From Splashtown Drive to Willie Mitchell Drive
District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez initiated the effort earlier this year after the closure of Splashtown left behind a street bearing the name of a water park that no longer exists.
Splashtown closed in September 2021 after 37 years in business, and the former property has since been redeveloped.
The District 2 office previously met with nearby residents, including members of the United Homeowners Improvement Association, and area businesses about replacing the street name with one that better reflects the East Side and its history.
That process ultimately led to Mitchell.
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.
D2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez
From Wheatley to the Super Bowl
Born in San Antonio in 1940, Mitchell grew up on the East Side and graduated from Wheatley High School before taking his football career to the professional level.
Mitchell played eight seasons of professional football, spending most of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He appeared with Kansas City in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, later known as Super Bowl I. Three years later, Mitchell and the Chiefs returned to football’s biggest stage and defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
He later played for the Houston Oilers before his professional career ended.
Mitchell’s connection to San Antonio continued long after football. He helped establish San Antonio Fighting Back, an organization focused on strengthening the community through leadership, mentorship and other programs.
An East Side Name Comes Home
The street renaming brings Mitchell’s name back to the community where his story began.
“It is my honor to recognize an exceptional District 2 resident who has made San Antonio history, NFL history and American history,” McKee-Rodriguez said.
With City Council’s approval, a street once named for a shuttered East Side attraction will instead recognize a Wheatley graduate whose journey took him from San Antonio’s East Side to a professional football championship.
