HBCU football champion and Jackson State superstar Irv Mulligan has been making his presence felt at some stage in the NFL HBCU Combine as he seems to pay attention to his name called for the duration of the NFL Draft in April. Mulligan was a dominant running back for the Tigers as an elusive lower back with a penchant for long runs that placed the team in a position to put points on the board. But, in the course of the integration, he seemed to expose scouts to a distinctive facet of him.

“I’m a dominant guy in the run game,” he stated to NFL Network’s Steve Wyche. “I display similar tendencies as contemporary guys inside the league right now, like Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook—things of that nature. So I confirmed to them that, you already know, I can be an all-around back, particularly today. They failed to see me get in the passing game a lot at some stage in the season, but nowadays I definitely showcase that.”

He persisted, speaking approximately about how he seemed to show his capacity as a pass catcher. During his time at Jackson State, Mulligan recorded the simplest eight receptions for 80 yards, making his performance at the combine a crucial opportunity to illustrate his versatility within the offense.

“Because, I’ll be honest, that changed into considered one of my weaknesses on my scouting record. So, I wanted to come out right here and display that I can truly catch the ball. I can trap it just as excellently as a wide receiver. If they want to place me in a slot, I can play a slot wide receiver. So, I’m a very versatile guy, and I desired to expose that I’m an all-around back. Because in the movie, I did display that I’m an all-around back.”

Beyond his rushing and receiving abilities, Mulligan is eager to reveal his abilities in pass protection. With NFL teams putting a top rate on running backs who can be reliable blockers, Mulligan plans to prove he can supply inside the trenches.

“The most important factor for me is defending the quarterback,” he stated. “When the linebackers come and we do one-on-one blocking, I’m going to expose [scouts] that I can block just like I catch each ball nowadays; I’m going to block each linebacker in practice.”

While Mulligan’s focus is firmly on earning a gap within the NFL, he understands the load he contains of representing HBCU players. In his communication with Steve Wyche, Mulligan made it clear that his overall performance at the combine wasn’t only for his personal advantage but to highlight the extent of skills coming from historically Black colleges and universities.

“It’s now not simply the big schools like Alabama and Clemson,” stated Mulligan. “HBCU guys can ball as nicely. I came out here not simply to carry out for myself but to place on for all of the HBCU guys. There are loads of fellows that wish they may be right here these days, and they weren’t, so I needed to put on for them and show out.”

And he actually did put on. Mulligan’s overall performance on the combine included a strong 4.58 inside the 40-yard dash, showcasing the velocity that allowed him to dominate at Jackson State. The next step for Mulligan is preparing for the HBCU Legacy Bowl this weekend, where he hasn’t begun some other opportunities to show his abilities in front of NFL scouts.