An abrupt end to a troubled career for Mulkey

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, April 24, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers lost a dependable cog in the offense last week when wide receiver Grant Mulkey was dismissed from the team for violating team policies. No specifics have been given in terms of why he was kicked off the team, but the Huskers coaching staff as well as his former teammates have been surprisingly supportive in the aftermath. Everyone from head coach Bill Callahan to receiver's coach Ted Gilmore to linebacker Steve Octavien (the same guy that got into a fight with Mulkey earlier this spring) have reached out to him since the dismissal.

As for Mulkey, he has expressed disappointment at himself for letting down his former teammates and is looking to resume his football career elsewhere. A good possibility is that he will end up transferring to a division I-AA school in his native Texas. That will be a welcomed blessing for some small school in the Lone Star State, but it will leave a sizeable hole in the Nebraska Cornhuskers offense going into the 2006 campaign.

Mulkey had developed into one of Zac Taylor's favorite release valves, especially over the middle. He caught 26 passes for 271 yards in 2005. Unfortunately, he also developed a sizeable reputation for getting in trouble with the law in Lincoln. He was cited twice in 2004 for maintaining a disorderly house (whatever that means), pleading guilty both times and paying a total of $350 in fines. In 2003, he was arrested in San Antonio for Marijuana possession and resisting arrest while his team was in town to play in the Alamo Bowl.

Although there is no way of proving this assertion, it seems as if Mulkey was treading on thin ice with Callahan and his coaching staff and must have committed a final transgression that forced the Huskers' hand in terms of this decision. Hopefully, Mulkey will be able to learn from this fairly tragic experience and get both his football and personal life in order. In the meantime, Nebraska will have to look elsewhere for tenacity and consistency over the middle.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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