LowcoSports.com
It’s safe to say Irv Mulligan is already a star at home in Seabrook, but now his name is etched where an all-time legend’s used to reside.
The former Whale Branch star had another big game for Jackson State in Saturday’s 41-13 rout of Southern University for the SWAC title, and in the process surpassed the great Walter Payton’s top single-season rushing total during his tenure with the Tigers.
Mulligan rushed for 116 yards on 23 carries, including a 2-yard touchdown run that gave the Tigers the lead for good at 17-10 early in the third quarter. Mulligan’s sixth game this season with 100-plus rushing yards pushed his season total to 1,174, surpassing Sweetness for seventh on the school’s all-time list.
The top spot is likely out of reach — Mulligan would have to rack up 440 rushing yards against South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl to catch Jackson State legend Destry Wright’s total of 1,614 in 1999 — but Mulligan can further cement his legacy at JSU — and his NFL prospects — with another big game Saturday in Atlanta.
Mulligan was named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year last week, and his name is on the short list for a number of other honors, including the Urban Edge Network’s inaugural HBCU+ National Player of the Year award, which will be presented to the outstanding player from 21 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in FCS college football.
He is also among the 35 finalists announced for the Walter Payton Award, which goes to the national offensive player of the year in NCAA Division I FCS college football.
Mulligan and the Tigers (11-2), including freshman defensive back KJ Chisholm, a fellow Whale Branch alum, will face South Carolina State (9-2) in the Cricket Celebration Bowl at noon Saturday on ABC.
