LANDIS — Even at 6-foot-5 and 427 pounds — that’s the up-to-the-minute tale of the tape — South Rowan offensive left tackle Brad Mulkey can get lost in a crowd.
South had fourth-and-goal at the North Rowan 1 on Friday night. And concerned South head coach Rick Vanhoy couldn’t spot Mulkey at his tackle post or anywhere on the sideline.
“I asked Coach (Larry) Deal if Brad had gotten tired and he’d had to take him out,” explained Vanhoy. “Deal smiled at me and said, ‘Oh, he’s in there now at guard.’ ”
Moments later, South fullback Casey Goodman plowed into the end zone, traveling virtually unopposed down a path as wide as the Yellow Brick Road. A road cleared of defenders by a certain hefty engineer named Mulkey.
After the score, a delirious Mulkey lifted himself off that pile of Cavaliers he’d just avalanched and romped to the sideline like an overgrown puppy. His first order of business was to show off his rather limited vertical leap. The second thing he did was nearly kill teammate Andrew Moyer with a playful push that almost knocked the 225-pound Moyer into the cheerleaders.
“What I was feelin’ was sheer joy,” said Mulkey. “I’d begged the coaches to put me back in there and then they ran that play slap dag right behind me. I didn’t plan a celebration. It just happened. I did feel bad about striking Andrew.”
Fortunately for Moyer, Mulkey promises to do most of his pain-inflicting on opponents.
Deal, South’s offensive line coach, says it would be a good idea for foes to lose sleep over Mulkey. He says the big kid is more physical than anyone realizes. He insists the sumo-like senior is massive — but not passive.
“Mulk’s no pushy bear,” said Deal. “He can get a little mean and that’s fine. He’s got the right mentality for an offensive lineman.”
Foes confronted with Mulkey’s bulk have two choices. Go around him — which takes roughly a minute — or stand their ground. Mulkey warns the latter option can be a health hazard.
“If I lock up on someone, they better drop to the ground,” he said. “Otherwise they’re gonna end up flat on their back.”
“Once Mulk gets his hands on you, you’re toast,” confirmed Deal.
On Friday, one North defender tried to chop Mulkey’s legs. But Mulkey proved that while a bit overweighted, he’s not overrated.
“I just picked that guy up and flipped him like a tire,” said Mulkey, displaying a menacing smile.
Mulkey did his share of tire-flipping this summer. Like all South’s linemen, he attacked a timed obstacle course that required exertions like running up hills and hurdling and flinging all-weather radials.
“One thing we learned this summer,” said South’s right tackle Scott Moyer. “You didn’t want to be standing at the bottom of that hill when there was a chance that Brad might be rolling back down it.”
Mulkey rumbled, stumbled and tumbled all summer but never pleaded for mercy.
“You’d think Brad wouldn’t endure something like that,” said South guard William Van Wieren. “It was so scary watching him run that obstacle course. He’d fall on his face and he’d eat grass. But he’d never stop.
“The big guy has a big heart.”
Van Wieren’s assessment was reinforced by South’s practice Monday in 92 degree temperatures. Mulkey brought up the rear on each of a series of grueling sprints. But he refused to stop puffing until he’s traversed ever inch that his teammates ran.
“He might finish last but he’s going to finish every drill,” said Deal. “Mulk never quits. And considering his size and this heat, he holds up remarkably well.”
Mulkey’s grid career began inauspiciously at China Grove Middle School. He was kicked off the seventh grade team, admitting that he “said some stuff that he shouldn’t have.”
But Mulkey evolved into a decent noseguard. He still played primarily defense until the discovery during his junior year that he could do serious damage on the O-line.
“When he came to us in 9th grade, he could go two steps and that was about it,” said Deal. “But Mulk improved. He was willing to push himself out of his comfort zone. Many big guys won’t do that.”
“Coach Deal is the one that took me under his wing,” said Mulkey. “He changed everything. He made football fun.”
While even a pterodactyl would have trouble taking Mulkey under its wing, Deal has certainly gone the extra mile to nurture his giant charge. And it’s Deal who is always the first to remind curious onlookers that his ponderous project is a player — not a sideshow.
“Brad’s a big guy, but people shouldn’t forget he’s a big athlete,” he said. “Brad’s incredibly strong. His talent has allowed us to use the old think-pod a little bit.”
South has put in “overload” and “heavy jumbo” formations to take advantage of Mulkey’s mass. In short-yardage situations, a South back is going to be coming right over Mulkey’s broad back.
“I like that responsibility and I like the attention you get for being the biggest,” said Mulkey. “I’ve always been the biggest guy. Tramaine Foxx was close to me (Foxx is now a relatively svelte 340-pound Raider) in the eighth grade, but I just kept getting bigger.
“Being big is great. I couldn’t ever be a little guy. I’d miss it.”
Rumors are rife around campus that Mulkey can inhale a liter drink at a single sitting but he insists he doesn’t put away an extraordinary volume of food.
“I can’t eat breakfast and I usually eat just one lunch with a Powerade,” he said. “When I go home, I really don’t eat all that robust. But I do eat lots of carbs (carbohydrates for energy.”
Mulkey points out that while his body is a huge advantage on the football field, it can be a handicap off it.
“Finding clothes — that ain’t easy,” he said. “Neither is getting in a small car. It’s like being stuffed in the trunk with my nose on my chin.”
But there’s little doubt most of the stuffing this season will be done by Mulkey.
“Brad graded out just fine Friday,” said Vanhoy. “His stamina — that really surprised me.”
A beaming Mulkey, who went as many as 12 snaps without relief, reports his opening-night foes were equally surprised.
“Their first reaction was here comes an ol’ roly-poly and they were going to bust my butt,” he said. “But after a couple of plays, I could see it in their eyes. They didn’t much wanna play the rest of the game.”
n
Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
.
Today's News
