Ovie Mughelli

Ovie Mughelli
Ovie Mughelli

Mughelli with the Falcons in 2009
No. 34     Atlanta Falcons
Fullback
Personal information
Date of birth: June 10, 1980 (1980-06-10) (age 31)
Place of birth: Charleston, South Carolina
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
College: Wake Forest
NFL Draft: 2003 / Round: 4 / Pick: 134
Debuted in 2003 for the Baltimore Ravens
Career history
Roster status: Injured Reserve
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NFL.com

Ovie Phillip Mughelli (born June 10, 1980) is an American football fullback for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. He signed a 6-year, $18 million contract with a $5 million signing bonus on March 2, 2007 with the Falcons.[1] The contract was the largest given to a fullback in NFL history at the time.

Contents

High school career

Mughelli attended Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina and was a good student and a letterman in football, basketball, tennis, and track & field. In football, he rushed for more than 4,500 yards and scored 69 touchdowns during his career at Porter-Gaud, and he rushed for 2,167 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior. He was named the team's MVP for three years, was a three-time All-Conference selection, and as a senior, he was also named the State Player of the Year in his classification and was a Regional All-Star selection in all division. He also led the team to a state title in 1996 and state runner-up honors during his senior year in 1997.

College career

Mughelli attended Wake Forest University and was a letterman in football.

Professional career

Baltimore Ravens

Mughelli was selected with the 134th overall pick (fourth round) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens; the choice was a compensatory pick. He was the second fullback selected in Baltimore's franchise history (the first was Steve Lee in the 6th round of the 1997 draft); he was also the second Wake Forest player selected in the history of the team, since the NFL merger.

2003 season

In 2003, Mughelli saw action in 6 regular season games and 1 postseason game as a rookie and recorded 5 special teams tackles (adding 1 in the postseason). He was inactive the first two weeks of the season and saw his first NFL action on special teams in week 3 against San Diego on September 21 where he posted 1 solo special teams tackle.

2004 season

Mughelli saw action in 3 games, recording 2 special teams tackles in 2004. In week 3, he played on special teams before leaving the game in the second quarter with a hamstring injury and was inactive in weeks 4-8. On November 14, Mughelli returned to play on special teams, netting 1 tackle against the New York Jets.

2005 season

Posting his first 5 career starts in 2005, Mughelli, helped pave the way for Baltimore to rush for 1,605 yards. He also pulled in 3 receptions for 13 yards and finished 4th on the team with 16 special teams tackles. His season highlights include starting and helping protect QB Kyle Boller, allowing him to throw for a season-high 289 yards and 3 TDs against Minnesota on December 25. He also helped pave the way for the Ravens to rush for 88 yards, and caught a pass for 6 yards against the Vikings. Mughelli saw action off the bench and helped pave the way for the Ravens to rush for a season-high 182 yards, including 105 by Jamal Lewis in the 48-3 victory against Green Bay on December 19. He led the team with 4 special teams tackles in an 16-13 OT victory against Pittsburgh on November 20. Mughelli also saw action from scrimmage and on special teams, recording 2 tackles and earning a special teams game ball in against the New York Jets on October 2.

2006 season

It was during the 2006 season that Mughelli recorded his first ever NFL touchdown. He also went all-Pro for the first time in his career.

Atlanta Falcons

2007

In 2007, Mughelli signed with the Atlanta Falcons to block for running backs Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood.

2008 Season

Mughelli had a breakout season in 2008, blocking for Michael Turner.

2010 Season

In 2010, Mughelli went all-Pro for the second time in he career, the first being in 2006, and was elected to his first ever Pro Bowl. He also recorded the fourth receiving touchdown of his career.

Community Service & Outreach

Mughelli is a strong advocate of environmental activism, education, and conservation.

Mughelli has partnered with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to promote Ready Georgia, a state-wide campaign aimed at better educating Georgians on how to properly prepare for disasters. Mughelli has a profile on the campaign's website listing what he keeps in his ready kit, and has also appeared in disaster safety videos.[2]

Along with Ravens teammates, Mughelli helped refurbish homes with Sandtown Habitat for Humanity in the fall of 2006. One of the people who received a custom home, Romeo Magruder, stated that Mughelli was "the nicest man I have ever met."

References

External links