‘There’s no tomorrow’
Trojans QB Mullen enters final season of stellar career with sectional title, and beyond, on his mind
Time has flown by for Chris Mullen.
“I feel like it was yesterday walking onto campus as a freshman,” he said. “I saw my freshman first-day-of-school picture the other day, and I was, like, ‘I remember that.’ ”
Now an accomplished 6-foot-4 senior, Mullen enters his third season as Chesterton’s starting quarterback with a sense of urgency.
“If I don’t win, there’s no tomorrow,” Mullen said. “That’s all I care about.”
Chesterton is seeking the program’s first sectional title. That’s the first postseason hurdle to clear. But Mullen has no intention of selling this team short.
“If we were shooting for anything less than 14-0 and a state championship, there would be something wrong with us,” he said.
Mullen has put himself in position to lead Chesterton’s charge. He has gotten stronger, including his core. He has become more flexible. He is more mentally focused than he has ever been, he said.
“We’re all clicking together,” Mullen said. “We’re really connected. No one’s separated from each other. We’re all one big group.
“The team is the most important thing. If we win and I throw 10 interceptions, I’m happy.”
Mullen threw for 1,902 yards with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. He also ran for 453 yards and nine TDs.
He threw for 2,477 yards with 26 TDs and eight interceptions as a sophomore.
Chesterton coach Mark Peterson described this senior class as “culture changers,” and Mullen has been at the forefront. Peterson said he thinks Mullen is poised for an exceptional final season.
“He’s my everything right now,” Peterson said. “He’s our focal point. He’s been a great leader, and he’s been doing a great job this offseason. He just looks really solid.”
Mullen has drawn interest from an assortment of colleges, including programs at the Football Championship Subdivision, Division II and NAIA levels.
“Every Division III in the country wants him, and a lot of Division
I-AAs are coming in too,” Peterson said.
Mullen downplayed his college options. He preferred to concentrate on this season.
“When we make a deep run this year, we’ll see what happens,” Mullen said. “As far as I’m concerned, when we make a deep run, everything will take care of itself.”
Mullen is leaning toward studying a sports-related field, perhaps kinesiology, in college.
“I wish football was a subject,” he said with a smile.
A standout athlete who also plays baseball and basketball, Mullen has a passion for football.
“I was listening to a coach talk, and he said lots of people love being football players, but not a lot of people love playing football. I like that quote a lot,” he said. “They don’t love the work. They like being out here on Friday, but they don’t like learning the game and learning how to get better. I love all of it.”