Chucky Mullins
| Roy Lee Mullins | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| College | University of Mississippi |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Sport | Football |
| Position | Defensive Back |
| Jersey # | 38 |
| Nickname | Chucky |
| Career | 1988–1989 |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
July 8, 1969 Russellville, Alabama |
| Died | May 6, 1991 (aged 21) Memphis, Tennessee |
| High school | Russellville High School |
Roy Lee "Chucky" Mullins (July 8, 1969 in Russellville, Alabama – May 6, 1991 in Memphis, Tennessee) was an American football player at Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) best known for the devastating football injury that left him a quadriplegic.
Chucky Mullins was injured on October 28, 1989, during the Ole Miss Rebel's Homecoming game against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Oxford, Mississippi. Chucky Mullins plunged head-first into a tackle of Vanderbilt fullback Brad Gaines after a short pass attempt. The impact shattered four vertebrae in his cervical spine, immediately paralyzing him.
After being airlifted to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Mullins underwent a tracheotomy and five-hour bone graft operation to fuse the vertebrae. Mullins never regained sensation below his neck; shortly before his death, however, he was able to move a hand across his body and touch his chest.
As soon as the injury occurred, Mullins became the recipient of a huge outpouring of community support. Ole Miss fans, college football fans in the South and people from all over the nation immediately began to donate money towards Mullins' growing medical expenses. President George H.W. Bush visited Mullins in his hospital room and encouraged him while on a visit to Memphis. Soon, Ole Miss established the "Chucky Mullins Trust Fund" to properly manage the donations. The city of Oxford donated land for a specially-designed, handicap-accessible house for Mullins. Donations to the trust fund eventually exceeded $1 million.
Mullins returned to Ole Miss on June 20, 1990 to complete his undergraduate studies.
Less than a year after returning to school, Mullins was stricken by a pulmonary embolism, caused by blood clots formed by inactivity and poor circulation. He died in the hospital on May 6, 1991 and was buried outside his home town of Russellville, Alabama.
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