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| Position | Guard | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1949-08-14)August 14, 1949 (age 76) Fullerton, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 244 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Anaheim(Anaheim, California) | ||||||||||||||
| College | USC | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1971: 4th round, 86th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Gerry Blaine Mullins (born August 14, 1949) is an American former professionalfootball player who was aguard for nine seasons for thePittsburgh Steelers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theUSC Trojans.[citation needed]
Mullins was considered "undersized" in his day, but became known for his agility and versatility, and played as both guard and tackle.[1][2]
Gerry Blaine Mullins was raised inAnaheim, California where he began his football career atFremont Junior High School, and was mentored atAnaheim High School by head football coachClare Van Hoorebeke (1950–1972). Playing tight end, defensive end, and fullback, Mullins was a senior captain for the Colonists, who went 12-1 and finished as CIF-Southern Section 4-A Division finalists. At Anaheim, Mullins was a teammate and classmate ofJim Fassel, one of the team's quarterbacks. After graduating from AHS in 1967, Mullins played for head coachJohn McKay at theUniversity of Southern California. After spending his first varsity season as a backup offensive tackle, Mullins shifted to tight end and earned the starting role that season, catching nine passes for 122 yards. His career best game came againstStanford, when he recorded five receptions for 84 yards, including a 19-yard TD pass from quarterbackJimmy Jones to help the Trojans beat the Indians 26–24. Mullins started in USC's 10–3 win overMichigan in the1970 Rose Bowl as the Trojans finished a 10-0-1 season. As a senior in 1970, Mullins caught six passes for 89 yards as USC fell to a record of 6–4–1.
Selected in the fourth round (86th overall) of the1971 NFL draft, Mullins mostly played rightoffensive guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers for his entire professional career (1971–1979), next to All-Pro centersRay Mansfield (1971–1975) andMike Webster (1976–1979). Known as "Moon," Mullins went on to start for all four world championship teams with the Steelers (Super BowlsIX,X,XIII, andXIV) during the 1970s. Mullins is remembered for a play inSuper Bowl IX when he pulled on a sweep leaving an uncontested path forFranco Harris to trot in the end zone. Mullins also recovered an onside kick in Super Bowl X and recovered a fumble for a touchdown during the 1972 AFC Championship Game against theMiami Dolphins. Mullins' last game as a professional football player was Pittsburgh's victory inSuper Bowl XIV. Prior to the 1980 season, he was waived during training camp and after declining offers to continue his career with theCleveland Browns andHouston Oilers, Mullins retired. One of nine Steelers players to start in all four Super Bowl victories, Mullins was the first to leave the franchise.
Along with other players for the Steelers, Mullins also had a brief film career with a cameo appearance inThe Rocky Bleier Story forMTM Enterprises.
Mullins lived in theSaxonburg area ofButler County, Pennsylvania.[1] He became owner and president of Industrial Metals and Minerals inBridgeville, Pennsylvania.[1]