Jerry Mullen (November 23, 1933 – September, 1979) was an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He was an All-American at the

University of San Francisco The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...

and a second round draft pick of the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. Mullen, a 6'5 forward from St. Mary's College High School in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

, played college basketball at the

from 1951 to 1955. At USF, Mullen teamed with future

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

center

Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most V ...

in the frontcourt to bring home the first of the Dons' consecutive national titles in

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

. Mullen was a key player for the team, averaging 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and earning AP honorable mention

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

honors that year. He was also named to the All-Western Regional team in the tournament. After graduating from USF, Mullen was drafted in the second round (13th pick overall) of the 1955 NBA draft by the

. However, Mullen chose instead to continue his basketball career in the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

, playing for the Wichita Vickers for six seasons. The Vickers won the AAU title in 1959 with Mullen playing a key reserve role. After his AAU playing days were over, Jerry Mullen returned to his home state of California for a career in sales and consulting. He died in September 1979 at the age of 45.

References

1933 births 1979 deaths Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Berkeley, California Forwards (basketball) New York Knicks draft picks San Francisco Dons men's basketball players {{1930s-US-basketball-bio-stub