Grayslake Central’s Sean Mullen remembers being nervous as he got ready for his first varsity football game.
After all, Mullen didn’t have much experience in the sport at the time.
“I didn’t know what to expect, so I wore more chest pads,” he said.
Mullen, a former gymnastics standout, had played football for only a year when he made his varsity debut as a sophomore in the Rams’ 2021 season opener.
“After I got a feel for what it was like, I felt more excited than nervous,” he said.
Two years later, Mullen is a two-sport star for Grayslake Central. He qualified for the Class 3A state meet in May in the 110-meter hurdles and the pole vault, placing sixth in the latter, and the 6-foot, 160-pound senior will start at safety and wide receiver when the Rams (7-4) begin the season with a nonconference home game against Bolingbrook on Friday.
Mullen has become a leader for the Rams, too, embracing the team mentality.
“After that first game, I started to bond more with everyone,” he said. “The upperclassmen that year were so supportive, and I started to love the feel of the team bond in football, which reminded me of gymnastics.”
Mullen made his mark in gymnastics years ago. At the 2018 Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships in Oklahoma City, he placed 15th among 12-year-olds at Level 8, competing in all events. He said he started participating in the sport at Ultimate Gymnastics in Gurnee when he was 4 and considered the high bar his specialty.
“I love that sport,” he said. “Most people think of gymnastics as an individual sport, but it’s really a team sport, and in football, I found that again.”
The physical and mental tools Mullen honed in gymnastics have paid dividends for him as a two-way football player.
“Growing up doing intense sports like that has given me the mindset to feel that I can compete at a high level,” he said. “It helps me stay calm in intense moments. It’s one big mind game really.”
Brent Pearlman, Grayslake Central’s new football coach, has observed the same.
“I’ve seen tremendous growth in his leadership of the team,” Pearlman said. “He says things we really need to hear, and he means them sincerely.
“In the past, he’s led by his actions, and his actions are outstanding, so that would be adequate to lead anybody. Now he’s not just a leader by action but by his words, as well.”
Mullen hasn’t played football for long, but his father, Brian, was an offensive lineman in high school and won a Texas state title at Bishop Lynch in Dallas.
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“He was thrilled that I picked up football,” Mullen said. “He’s always encouraging me.”
Mullen picked up the X’s and O’s quickly.
“His top skill set is that he understands the game,” Pearlman said. “He doesn’t just play football. He knows what’s happening around him at the other 10 positions.
“He’s just on the beginning of his path. I think he’s going to grow exponentially throughout this season. The best is yet to come.”
Mullen said he hopes his best is yet to come in the pole vault too. His personal best is 4.47 meters. Elijah Eugene’s school-record 4.60 meters has stood since 2016.
“I was proud of myself, but I always want more,” Mullen said. “I tied my personal record, but I think I can do more than that.”
Sam Brief is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.