Chucky Mullins facts for kids
Mullins with the Ole Miss uniform
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| Ole Miss Rebels – No. 38 | |
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| Position | Defensive back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 8, 1969 Russellville, Alabama |
| Died: | May 6, 1991 (aged 21) Memphis, Tennessee |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
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| Bowl games |
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| High school | Russellville HS (Russellville, AL) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Roy Lee "Chucky" Mullins (born July 8, 1969 – died May 6, 1991) was an American football player for the Ole Miss team at the University of Mississippi. He is remembered for a serious football injury that left him unable to move his arms and legs.
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Chucky Mullins' Injury and Recovery
Chucky Mullins was injured on October 28, 1989. This happened during a Homecoming game for the Ole Miss Rebels against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Oxford, Mississippi. Chucky tackled Vanderbilt fullback Brad Gaines head-first after a short pass. This impact badly damaged four bones in Mullins' neck, causing him to become paralyzed right away.
After the accident, Chucky was flown to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. He had surgery to help him breathe and another operation to fix the bones in his neck. Sadly, Chucky never got feeling back below his neck. However, after many months of hard work in physical therapy, he was able to move one hand across his body.
Community Support for Chucky
When Chucky was injured, many people showed him great support. Fans of Ole Miss, other college football fans, and people from all over the country started donating money. This money helped pay for Chucky's growing medical bills. Even President George H. W. Bush visited Chucky in the hospital to encourage him.
Soon, Ole Miss set up the "Chucky Mullins Trust Fund" to manage all the donations. The city of Oxford also gave land for a special house. This house was designed to be easy for Chucky to live in with his wheelchair. The donations to the trust fund eventually reached over $1 million.
Chucky Mullins returned to Ole Miss on June 20, 1990. He wanted to finish his college studies.
Chucky Mullins' Death
Less than a year after returning to school, Chucky Mullins became very sick. He had a blood clot in his lungs. This was caused by not being able to move much. He passed away in the hospital on May 6, 1991. Chucky was buried in his hometown of Russellville, Alabama.
Remembering Chucky Mullins
Many things have been done to remember Chucky Mullins. On September 26, 2014, Coliseum Drive on the Ole Miss campus was renamed Chucky Mullins Drive.
Chucky and Brad Gaines, the player he tackled, became good friends after the accident. Even after Chucky's death, Brad Gaines visits Chucky's grave three times a year. He goes on May 6 (the day Chucky died), October 28 (the day of the injury), and December 25 (Christmas Day). Brad Gaines still keeps this promise today.
The story of Chucky's injury and its effect on Brad Gaines was made into a documentary. It is called "It's Time" and first aired in September 2014 on the SEC Network.
Each spring, Ole Miss holds a special game called the Grove Bowl. During this event, a player who shows Chucky Mullins' spirit and courage receives the "Chucky Mullins Memorial Courage Award". This award allows the player to wear jersey number 38, which was Chucky's number.
Chucky's number 38 was officially retired on September 3, 2006. This happened in a ceremony before a game where the Rebels won against Memphis. From 2006 to 2009, the award winner wore a patch to honor Chucky. However, many people did not like that the number was retired. So, in 2010, the number 38 was brought back. Now, only the winner of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award can wear it for that season. Starting in 2021, award winners can choose to wear number 38 or keep their own jersey number with a "38" patch on it.
Winners of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award
- 1990 – Chris Mitchell
- 1991 – Jeff Carter
- 1992 – Trea Southerland
- 1993 – Johnny Dixon
- 1994 – Alundice Brice
- 1995 – Michael Lowery
- 1996 – Derek Jones
- 1997 – Nate Wayne
- 1998 – Gary Thigpen
- 1999 – Ronnie Heard
- 2000 – Anthony Magee
- 2001 – Kevin Thomas
- 2002 – Lanier Goethie
- 2003 – Jamil Northcutt
- 2004 – Eric Oliver
- 2005 – Kelvin Robinson
- 2006 – Patrick Willis
- 2007 – Jeremy Garrett
- 2008 – Jamarca Sanford
- 2009 – Marcus Tillman
- 2010 – Kentrell Lockett
- 2011 – D. T. Shackelford
- 2012 – Jason Jones
- 2013 – Mike Marry
- 2014 – Detarrian (D.T.) Shackleford (2nd award)
- 2015 – Mike Hilton
- 2016 – John Youngblood
- 2017 - Marquis Haynes
- 2018 - CJ Moore
- 2019 - Austrian Robinson
- 2020 - Jaylon Jones
- 2021 - Keidron Smith
- 2022 - KD Hill
Chucky Mullins' story has also been told in other films. These include a documentary film called Undefeated: The Chucky Mullins Story.
More About Chucky Mullins
- Former Auburn University football player Zach Gilbert, who is Chucky's cousin, wore number 38 to honor him.
- Former Rebels and 49ers player Patrick Willis was the first person to receive the Chucky Mullins Award after the number was retired.
- A book about Chucky's story, Dixie Farewell: The Life and Death of Chucky Mullins, was written by Larry Woody in 1994.
- Rev. Jody Hill, who played football with Chucky at Ole Miss, also wrote a book called 38: The Chucky Mullins Effect in 2014.
