Mike Mamula
Encyclopedia
Michael Brian Mamula is a former professional American football
player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles
in the first round (seventh overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Boston College
.
at Boston College
. He redshirted in 1991 and then hurt a shoulder at the beginning of the 1992 season, although he played through it. In 1993, as a junior, Mamula had 84 tackles and 11 sacks as a rush-backer in a 3-4 defense for Boston College. Mamula added another sack in the Carquest Bowl, bringing his season total to twelve. In 1994, his senior year they switched to a 4-3 defense and Mamula was a right defensive end. From that position he had 73 tackles and 13 sacks and four more in the team's 12-7 Aloha Bowl
win over Kansas State University
, bringing his season total to 17 sacks. For his efforts he was voted All-Big East.
es, which was more reps than the top tackle taken in the draft (Tony Boselli
), and his 4.58 40-yard dash time was considered extremely fast for his position. He scored a 49 out of 50 in the Wonderlic Test
, which is the second highest score ever recorded by an NFL player.
traded their first-round draft pick (12th overall), and two second-round selections to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in exchange for their first-round draft pick (7th overall) and a third round selection. All picks involved in this trade were in the 1995 NFL Draft
. Tampa Bay ultimately used its pick on Warren Sapp
, and used the other picks they received in the trade to move up into the 30th pick of the first round and select Derrick Brooks
.
Because Mamula's subsequent NFL career was not commensurate to his top combine showing, he is often pejoratively referred to as a "Workout Warrior" and his name is frequently invoked when players go into the combine as relative unknowns and come out as hot properties. Michael David Smith
wrote an article for The New York Times
in 2008 refuting these characterizations, noting that scouts were impressed with Mamula's play while he was at BC and arguing that Mamula had an underrated career. Smith further noted that if the Eagles had passed on Mamula to draft the next selected "edge pass rusher" they would have picked Derrick Alexander
who had a less productive career than Mamula. Reuben Frank echoed these sentiments in an earlier piece for the Burlington County Times
.
Mamula spent six seasons with the Eagles before being forced to retire after the 2000 NFL season
due to injuries. Nonetheless, he is considered a bust in part because Sapp and Brooks went on to stellar careers. Additionally, Eagles fans expected him to fill a void left by Reggie White
two years earlier. In 77 career games with the Eagles, Mamula had 209 total tackles
and 31.5 sacks
. His best seasons were 1996 and 1999. In 1996 he logged 8 sacks and in 1999 he had 8½, after recovering from missing the entire 1997 season. He also picked off a pass from Kurt Warner
and returned it for a touchdown in the last game of the 1999 season. Mamula feels he would have had a more productive career if the Eagles had played him at linebacker, as he considered himself undersized for defensive end.
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...
player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the first round (seventh overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Boston College
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
.
College career
Mamula played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
. He redshirted in 1991 and then hurt a shoulder at the beginning of the 1992 season, although he played through it. In 1993, as a junior, Mamula had 84 tackles and 11 sacks as a rush-backer in a 3-4 defense for Boston College. Mamula added another sack in the Carquest Bowl, bringing his season total to twelve. In 1994, his senior year they switched to a 4-3 defense and Mamula was a right defensive end. From that position he had 73 tackles and 13 sacks and four more in the team's 12-7 Aloha Bowl
Aloha Bowl
The Aloha Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. With the exception of the 1983-86 playings, the Aloha Bowl was traditionally played on Christmas morning in Honolulu. For most of its...
win over Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
, bringing his season total to 17 sacks. For his efforts he was voted All-Big East.
Pre-draft
Mamula improved his draft stock tremendously thanks to his showing at the NFL Combine. He was one of the first players to train specifically for the combine drills, performing each drill hundreds of times in the months leading up to the combine. Although that practice is prevalent today, in 1995 most players performed football drills and paid less to attention to the specific drills measured at the combine. Mamula had 26 reps of 225 lb bench pressBench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
es, which was more reps than the top tackle taken in the draft (Tony Boselli
Tony Boselli
Don Anthony "Tony" Boselli, Jr. is a former American football offensive tackle. He spent nearly all of his professional career playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League ....
), and his 4.58 40-yard dash time was considered extremely fast for his position. He scored a 49 out of 50 in the Wonderlic Test
Wonderlic Test
The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is a twelve-minute, fifty-question test used to assess the aptitude of prospective employees for learning and problem-solving in a range of occupations. The test was developed by industrial psychologist Eldon F. Wonderlic...
, which is the second highest score ever recorded by an NFL player.
Pre-draft measureables
Also performed the Four-Square run in 7.82#. The pound sign "#" is to not to be confused with the 3-cone drill, which is now in use at the NFL Combine. The Four-Square drill was the drill used in that era. Mamula's 7.82 second drill was only 0.03 second off the best time posted at that combine of 7.79. Additionally, Mamula posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.58 seconds, a vertical jump of 38½ inches, a standing broad jump of 10'5" inches, a 20-yard shuttle of 4.03 seconds and a 4-square run of 7.82 seconds. The previous day he had bench- pressed 225 pounds 26 times. Of the 300 players at the combine regardless of position, the fastest 40 was 4.42, the best vertical jump was 41½, the best standing broad jump was 10'11', the best 20-yard shuttle was 3.90, the best 4-square was 7.79 and the best bench press was 37 reps.Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
traded their first-round draft pick (12th overall), and two second-round selections to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in exchange for their first-round draft pick (7th overall) and a third round selection. All picks involved in this trade were in the 1995 NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
. Tampa Bay ultimately used its pick on Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
, and used the other picks they received in the trade to move up into the 30th pick of the first round and select Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
.
Because Mamula's subsequent NFL career was not commensurate to his top combine showing, he is often pejoratively referred to as a "Workout Warrior" and his name is frequently invoked when players go into the combine as relative unknowns and come out as hot properties. Michael David Smith
Michael David Smith
Michael David Smith is a writer based in Chicago. In 2007 he was named Mainstream Media Sports Blogger of the Year by Sports Illustrated.Smith is best known for his work at the AOL FanHouse on MMA. He has also written for The New York Times, The New York Sun, ESPN the Magazine, Fox Sports, Football...
wrote an article for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
in 2008 refuting these characterizations, noting that scouts were impressed with Mamula's play while he was at BC and arguing that Mamula had an underrated career. Smith further noted that if the Eagles had passed on Mamula to draft the next selected "edge pass rusher" they would have picked Derrick Alexander
Derrick Alexander (defensive end)
Derrick Alexander is a former defensive end/defensive tackle who played for the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted from Florida State University in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft ahead of such big names as Hugh Douglas and Warren Sapp...
who had a less productive career than Mamula. Reuben Frank echoed these sentiments in an earlier piece for the Burlington County Times
Burlington County Times
The Burlington County Times is a daily newspaper located in Willingboro Township, New Jersey, USA. The Times is owned by Calkins Media....
.
Mamula spent six seasons with the Eagles before being forced to retire after the 2000 NFL season
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
due to injuries. Nonetheless, he is considered a bust in part because Sapp and Brooks went on to stellar careers. Additionally, Eagles fans expected him to fill a void left by Reggie White
Reggie White
Reginald Howard "Reggie" White was a professional American football player. He played 15 seasons as a defensive end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history...
two years earlier. In 77 career games with the Eagles, Mamula had 209 total tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
and 31.5 sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
. His best seasons were 1996 and 1999. In 1996 he logged 8 sacks and in 1999 he had 8½, after recovering from missing the entire 1997 season. He also picked off a pass from Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
and returned it for a touchdown in the last game of the 1999 season. Mamula feels he would have had a more productive career if the Eagles had played him at linebacker, as he considered himself undersized for defensive end.