Missouri State

TOM MULLEN
Football, 1970-73
Inducted November 19, 1983

Tom Mullen was another much-honored lineman, playing for Bear teams from 1970 through 1973 and starting each of the four years he lettered. He was an all-MIAA honorable mention selection as a sophomore and was then a unanimous all-conference first team selection as offensive tackle in both his junior and senior season. He received All-American honorable mention for the Bears from Associated Press following both the 1972 and 1973 season, and was an MSU co-captain in 1973 as a senior. The Springfield Quarterback Club named Mullen the Bears’ top lineman in 1973 and he was voted by his teammates as the Most Valuable Player on the squad for the season. He was a candidate for a number of post-season all-star games following his senior year and was selected to play in the College All-Star game in Chicago only to have the contest canceled that year. During his senior season he was called upon to fill in for MSU along the Bears’ defensive line. At the conclusion of his college playing days, Mullen was the second choice in the second round of the National Football League draft and spent six seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. After gaining a spot on the NFL all-Rookie team his first season, he was plagued by injury problems throughout the rest of his career and retired in 1979.