Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse at Virginia on March 23, 2026 , Loss , 7, to, 18
Final
Men's Lacrosse
at Virginia
7
18
For Love of the Game
11/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
By Bruce Wood
www.biggreenalert.com
Nov. 12, 2008
HANOVER ? Jimmy Mullen will graduate from Dartmouth next spring with no regrets.
Oh, he may have a few, but if he does they won't have to do with football.
A two-time lacrosse
All-American at Mt. Lebanon High School in the Pittsburgh suburbs, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Mullen also was an all-conference running back as a senior, carrying 210 times for 1,322 yards, a 6.3-yard average. He finished with a little more than 2,000 all-purpose yards in his final season.
Recruited by Dartmouth for lacrosse, he had 17 goals and four assists to finish fifth on the Big Green with 21 points last spring as a junior midfielder. And then, when the season was over, he did something he'd been thinking about for the past year.
He decided to scratch a football itch while he still could.
"I kind of always wanted to play," he said after Wednesday's practice on Blackman Fields. "I was off last fall, so I wasn't able to do it then. But I definitely missed it, and once my course load lightened up a little bit, which this year it has, I decided to see if it would be a possibility to come out."
First, though, he needed the blessing of lacrosse coach Bill Wilson because playing football would mean missing fall practice in his first sport.
"Coach Wilson was great about it," Mullen said. "He might have been kind of nervous, but he was very supportive. We have a few other guys who are two-sport athletes, and it's worked out great."
That hurdle cleared, Mullen turned his attention to the gridiron.
"I met with coach (Buddy) Teevens after lacrosse season was over in the spring and he was really nice about it. He had me go to a couple of captains practices and I guess I did all right."
Teevens remembered the meeting well.
"He came in and said he'd like to get a shot and you kind of roll your eyes a little bit with a senior who hadn't played," he said. "I told him to go out and play with some of the guys who are doing pass skel and they came back and said the kid had some quicks.
"We told him we didn't really need another running back, but talked to him about trying receiver. He picked it up and showed us something at a position where we needed some help."
Mullen, whose father J.R., was a linebacker at Boston College in the mid-1970s, was enthused by the position switch.
"I'd never played receiver before, so it's all been new to me," he said. "That part has been a lot of fun ? learning a new position. It simulates lacrosse a little bit at my position."
Mullen opened a few eyes during the preseason with his speed, soft hands and ability to make acrobatic catches. Slowed by injury early in the season, he had a breakout afternoon in the Harvard junior varsity game with four catches for 133 yards and two long touchdowns. He made his varsity debut the next afternoon, grabbing three balls for 37 yards in the final period.
"I've been waiting for that for a while," he said of his first varsity appearance. "I just wanted to make the most of my reps. But varsity or junior varsity, it doesn't matter. It's been a chance to play football again.
"It's been a lot of fun. I'm friends with a lot of guys on the team and that may be the best part, having the chance to meet all the people I wouldn't have gotten to know otherwise."
Mullen missed several practices last week and a possible chance to make the travel team for the Cornell game because of interviews for medical school. He returned in time to catch one pass for six yards in Sunday's jayvee game.
"He's been a nice addition," said Teevens. "He's also a leader as an older guy who has worked hard to get where he has. He got hurt a little bit and that kind of set him back. Had he not, he'd probably be playing a little more regularly. But hopefully we'll get him out there.
"I remember, the one thing I said to him when he wanted to come out was, 'Look, you may never see the light of day, but if you are in, you are in.' He said he wanted to do it and he hasn't looked back. Hopefully he has enjoyed it as much as we have enjoyed having him."
THE DARTMOUTH CONNECTION
Mullen was back home in Pennsylvania last fall doing an internship researching concussions at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for Sports Medicine under Dr. Freddie Fu '74.
"He remained our (high school) team doctor, even though he was the Steelers' team doctor," Mullen said. "I developed a relationship with him and once he found out I was going to Dartmouth and really interested in medicine, he took me under his wing a little bit and I got the internship."
www.biggreenalert.com
Nov. 12, 2008
HANOVER ? Jimmy Mullen will graduate from Dartmouth next spring with no regrets.
Oh, he may have a few, but if he does they won't have to do with football.
A two-time lacrosse
All-American at Mt. Lebanon High School in the Pittsburgh suburbs, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Mullen also was an all-conference running back as a senior, carrying 210 times for 1,322 yards, a 6.3-yard average. He finished with a little more than 2,000 all-purpose yards in his final season.Recruited by Dartmouth for lacrosse, he had 17 goals and four assists to finish fifth on the Big Green with 21 points last spring as a junior midfielder. And then, when the season was over, he did something he'd been thinking about for the past year.
He decided to scratch a football itch while he still could.
"I kind of always wanted to play," he said after Wednesday's practice on Blackman Fields. "I was off last fall, so I wasn't able to do it then. But I definitely missed it, and once my course load lightened up a little bit, which this year it has, I decided to see if it would be a possibility to come out."
First, though, he needed the blessing of lacrosse coach Bill Wilson because playing football would mean missing fall practice in his first sport.
"Coach Wilson was great about it," Mullen said. "He might have been kind of nervous, but he was very supportive. We have a few other guys who are two-sport athletes, and it's worked out great."
That hurdle cleared, Mullen turned his attention to the gridiron.
"I met with coach (Buddy) Teevens after lacrosse season was over in the spring and he was really nice about it. He had me go to a couple of captains practices and I guess I did all right."
Teevens remembered the meeting well.
"He came in and said he'd like to get a shot and you kind of roll your eyes a little bit with a senior who hadn't played," he said. "I told him to go out and play with some of the guys who are doing pass skel and they came back and said the kid had some quicks.
"We told him we didn't really need another running back, but talked to him about trying receiver. He picked it up and showed us something at a position where we needed some help."
Mullen, whose father J.R., was a linebacker at Boston College in the mid-1970s, was enthused by the position switch.
"I'd never played receiver before, so it's all been new to me," he said. "That part has been a lot of fun ? learning a new position. It simulates lacrosse a little bit at my position."
Mullen opened a few eyes during the preseason with his speed, soft hands and ability to make acrobatic catches. Slowed by injury early in the season, he had a breakout afternoon in the Harvard junior varsity game with four catches for 133 yards and two long touchdowns. He made his varsity debut the next afternoon, grabbing three balls for 37 yards in the final period.
"I've been waiting for that for a while," he said of his first varsity appearance. "I just wanted to make the most of my reps. But varsity or junior varsity, it doesn't matter. It's been a chance to play football again.
"It's been a lot of fun. I'm friends with a lot of guys on the team and that may be the best part, having the chance to meet all the people I wouldn't have gotten to know otherwise."
Mullen missed several practices last week and a possible chance to make the travel team for the Cornell game because of interviews for medical school. He returned in time to catch one pass for six yards in Sunday's jayvee game.
"He's been a nice addition," said Teevens. "He's also a leader as an older guy who has worked hard to get where he has. He got hurt a little bit and that kind of set him back. Had he not, he'd probably be playing a little more regularly. But hopefully we'll get him out there.
"I remember, the one thing I said to him when he wanted to come out was, 'Look, you may never see the light of day, but if you are in, you are in.' He said he wanted to do it and he hasn't looked back. Hopefully he has enjoyed it as much as we have enjoyed having him."
THE DARTMOUTH CONNECTION
Mullen was back home in Pennsylvania last fall doing an internship researching concussions at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for Sports Medicine under Dr. Freddie Fu '74.
"He remained our (high school) team doctor, even though he was the Steelers' team doctor," Mullen said. "I developed a relationship with him and once he found out I was going to Dartmouth and really interested in medicine, he took me under his wing a little bit and I got the internship."
Players Mentioned
M
/ Men's LacrosseMen's Lacrosse Postgame vs Cornell 4-18-26
Saturday, April 18
Men's Lacrosse Postgame vs Yale 4-4-26
Saturday, April 04
Men's Lacrosse Postgame Media Availability vs Penn 3.28.26
Saturday, March 28
Men's Lacrosse at Boston University Postgame 2.15.26
Sunday, February 15
