AFL Arena Football League

Top 25 Players in AFL History: #25 Gary Mullen

Published on March 11, 2012 under Arena Football League (AFL) News Release


CHICAGO - In 2006, the Arena Football League celebrated its 20th season by gathering a committee of longtime League executives, coaches, media members and former players to vote on a series of "Top 20" lists, including the 20 Greatest Players in AFL History.

Five seasons later, the League has once again assembled a committee to continue the tradition.

The Silver Anniversary Committee has begun voting on a series of "Top 25" lists ranging from the "25 Greatest Uniforms in AFL History" to the "25 Rowdiest Atmospheres in AFL History."

However, no list garners as much attention or debate as the countdown of the Greatest Players in AFL History.

The Silver Anniversary Committee has deliberated and their votes have been tallied. Each week of the 2012 regular season, the Committee will countdown one spot on the list, beginning with the No. 25 selection and culminating with the announcement of the Greatest Player in AFL History at the end of the season.

To kick off the 25th season of the Arena Football League, the Silver Anniversary Committee has announced its selection for the 25th Greatest Player in AFL History: Gary Mullen.

Mullen won four ArenaBowl championships in his eight-year AFL career, including the very first in League history as a member of the Denver Dynamite in 1987. He posted nine catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the game, capping a season in which he also enjoyed the first of his three All-Arena selections during his career. Though no MVP was officially awarded by the League in the first championship game, ESPN selected Mullen as its "MVP of the Game" in the 1987 victory over Pittsburgh.

The 5-foot-11 receiver and defensive back followed his rookie year with an equally impressive sophomore campaign, totaling 823 receiving yards and 17 scores. The numbers were good enough to again earn him First-Team All-Arena honors as a WR/DB, this time with the Los Angeles Cobras.

The next year, Mullen brought his services to the Detroit Drive, a franchise fresh off its first ArenaBowl championship. The addition of Mullen solidified the Drive as the League's first dynasty as the team appeared in the ArenaBowl each of his four seasons at the Joe Louis Arena, with the team bringing home the championship trophy in three of them.

Teaming with future Hall of Famers George LaFrance and Dwayne Dixon, Mullen and the Detroit passing attack was virtually indefensible. In 1990, Mullen was again named First-Team All-Arena after leading the League in scoring and leading the Drive to its third consecutive ArenaBowl title.

Mullen's final two seasons were spent in Cincinnati and Milwaukee. For his career, Mullen remains second all-time in League history with an average of 15.7 yards per reception. Ever the big game player, Mullen also holds the League record for most career ArenaBowl receiving yards with 465 to his name.

Mullen was one of eight selections for the inaugural Arena Football League Hall of Fame class in 1998 and tied with former Arizona Rattlers WR/DB Randy Gatewood in 2006 for the No. 17 spot in the AFL Historical Committee's list of the 20 Greatest Players in AFL history.

The League's Silver Anniversary Committee will continue to countdown its list of the 25 Greatest Players in AFL History each week throughout the 2012 regular season, with the announcements of the Top 5 during the postseason.

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