Mark Mullaney
Encyclopedia
Mark Alan Mullaney is a former professional American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...

 in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

 in the 1st round (25th overall) of the 1975 NFL Draft
1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...

. At 6'6", 246 lbs. from Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...

, Mullaney played in 12 NFL seasons from 1975 to 1987 for the Vikings and is 9th on the Vikings all time sack list with 45½ sacks. Mullaney also had 597 tackles and 13 forced fumbles
Mullaney also holds a place in NFL history as the first NFL Player to wear a helmet shield visor
Visor
A visor is a surface that protects the eyes, such as shading them from the sun or other bright light or protecting them from objects....

on his face mask, after suffering an eye injury in 1984. In 1986 Mullaney switched to a dark tinted shield, the first player to wear this as well. Dennis Ryan, the Vikings long time equipment manager, helped Mullaney create the shield(s).
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