Fund for Paralyzed Player at Ole Miss Tops $235,000

Donations kept rolling in for the long-term care of Mississippi football player Roy Lee (Chucky) Mullins, who was paralyzed during a game Oct. 28.

More than $23,000 in checks arrived by mail on the Ole Miss campus Monday, bringing to $235,610 the amount raised for the freshman defensive back.

Meanwhile, four Jackson-area businessmen have written and recorded a song for Mullins. Proceeds from sales of the cassette will go into a trust fund established for Mullins.

Mullins, 20, of Russellville, Ala., fractured his neck when tackling a Vanderbilt pass receiver.

The trust fund was established last week by Ole Miss officials to defray the cost of his extended care. Athletic department insurance will cover medical expenses during the first few years and also provide some support for life, but not for all the care Mullins will need, officials said.

Although the athlete has been able to shrug his shoulders since fracturing his neck, doctors predict permanent paralysis.

Mullins has been placed in a chair periodically to give him a break from being on his back and to help keep his lungs clear. He remains on a respirator, said Chuck Warzyn, a hospital spokesman.