Herb Mul-Key facts for kids
Mul-Key in 1975
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| Position: | Running back Kick returner |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | November 15, 1949 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College: | Alabama State | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1972 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Herbert Felton Mul-Key (born November 15, 1949) is a former American football player. He played as a running back for three seasons with the Washington Redskins in the National Football League (NFL). Herbert was part of the team that played in Super Bowl VII. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1973, which is a special game for the best players. His birth name was Herbert Mulkey, but he added the hyphen to his name after people made fun of it at school.
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Early Life and Football Start
Herbert Mul-Key grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He went to Harper High School, where he was a very good football player. He was even named an "all-city" player, meaning he was one of the best in Atlanta.
However, some coaches thought he had a difficult attitude. Because of this, he did not get a scholarship to play football in college right away.
Even without a scholarship, Herbert found a way to play football at Alabama State College. He played there for one season. After that, he worked different jobs and also served in the Navy.
Joining the Redskins
In 1971, Herbert's childhood friend, Harold McLinton, told him about a special tryout for the Washington Redskins. Herbert borrowed money from his parents and friends to travel to Washington, D.C. He wanted to try out for the team.
The Redskins' coach, George Allen, was very impressed by Herbert's speed. Herbert ran 40 yards in less than 4.5 seconds, even on a wet field! Coach Allen decided to sign him to the team. Herbert was paid the lowest salary for a rookie player, which was $12,000 at the time. He was the only player ever signed from these tryouts, which were often more for public attention than finding new talent.
NFL Career Highlights
Herbert Mul-Key spent most of his first season, 1972, on the Redskins' reserve list. This meant he was part of the team but not actively playing in games.
First Games and Super Bowl VII
He got his chance to play in the 13th game of the 1972 season. This happened when the team's main running back, Larry Brown, got injured. In that game against the Dallas Cowboys, Herbert ran for 60 yards. He also returned six kickoffs for a total of 173 yards.
Herbert started the next game, which was the last game of the 1972 regular season. He played against the Buffalo Bills and ran for 95 yards. In the 1972 playoffs, he mainly played as a kick returner. He returned two kickoffs for 60 yards in a game against the Green Bay Packers. He also returned one kickoff for 15 yards in Super Bowl VII against the Miami Dolphins.
Pro Bowl Season
In the 1973 pre-season, Herbert made a big play. He ran the very first kickoff at Rich Stadium back 102 yards for a touchdown!
Later that season, on September 23, 1973, he scored another amazing touchdown. He returned a kickoff 97 yards in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. This happened right after another player, Don Shy, had also scored a kickoff return touchdown. This was only the second time in NFL history that two kickoff return touchdowns were scored on back-to-back plays.
Because of his excellent performance as a kick returner, Herbert was chosen for the Pro Bowl after the 1973 season. The Pro Bowl is a special game where the best players from different teams play against each other.
Injury and Later Career
In 1974, Herbert separated his shoulder during the Redskins' fifth game against Miami. He needed surgery to fix his shoulder and was placed on the injured reserve list. This meant he could not play for the rest of the season.
Before the 1975 season, Herbert was traded to the Baltimore Colts. However, the Colts released him before the season started. He then signed with the Montreal Alouettes, a team in the Canadian Football League. Herbert was released by the Alouettes before the 1976 season, which marked the end of his professional football career.
