Mississippi Free Safety Is Paralyzed

Ron Lee (Chuckie) Mullins, a University of Mississippi free safety, suffered a paralyzing neck injury Saturday when he made a first-quarter tackle in the Rebels’ game against Vanderbilt.

Mullins, a 6-foot, 170-pound redshirt freshman from Russellville, Ala., was airlifted 75 miles to Baptist Central Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. A spokesman in the hospital’s critical care unit said no condition was immediately available.

Mullins suffered a fractured-dislocation of the fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae in the neck, said Leroy Mullins, Mississippi’s trainer.

Mullins, was carried from the field on a stretcher with 6:57 left in the first quarter of the Rebels’ 24-16 victory.

Mullins was injured when he made a jarring tackle on Vanderbilt’s Brad Gaines at the Ole Miss three-yard-line to break up a pass play.

“He immediately told us he could not feel anything,” Leroy Mullins said.

The trainers cut off a portion of Mullins’ face mask and hinged it back in case they needed to assist his breathing, said school spokesman Langston Rogers.

“Shallow breathing was evident,” said Leroy Mullins, who is not related to the victim.

“Chuckie (Mullins’ nickname) is paralyzed from the neck down. I’ve been an athletic trainer for more than 25 years, and this is the worst on-the-field injury I have been involved with.

“It’s the type situation you constantly worry about and hope you never face.”

Rogers said Mullins never lost consciousness and talked to the trainers the entire time they worked with him.