Mitch Mustain
Encyclopedia
Mitchell Mustain is an American football
quarterback
who is currently a member of the Georgia Force
of the Arena Football League
. He played college football at USC
. Mustain played his freshman
year of college at the University of Arkansas
in 2006 before transferring to USC in 2007. Under NCAA transfer rules, he sat out the 2007 season
and started playing for USC in the 2008 season
.
Mustain was one of the most highly decorated high school football players in history, winning every national player of the year award, and was recruited by nearly every major college football
program in the United States
during the 2005-2006 school year. He played sparingly in his first game at Arkansas, but was named the starting quarterback
by the second game of the season and achieved a record of 8–0 as a true freshman starter.
Since junior high school, Mustain has accumulated a record of 61–3 (.953) as a starting quarterback (9–1 in eighth grade
in 2001, 9–0 in both ninth grade
in 2002 and 10th grade in 2003, 12–1 in 11th grade in 2004, 14–0 in 12th grade in 2005, 8–0 as a freshman at Arkansas in 2006, 0–1 in 2010 at USC).
By the time he left Southwest Junior High School, Mustain was already the object of high expectations; however he did not start for the Springdale High School
varsity team
until late in his sophomore season.
In 2004 as a junior, Mustain was 139-of-222 for 2,169 yards and 20 touchdowns as Springdale posted a 12–1 record and reached the Arkansas Class 5A semifinals. He threw only five interceptions in 222 attempts and rushed for 350 yards and 14 touchdowns.
In 2005 as a senior
, Mustain threw for 3,817 yards (an Arkansas Class 5A single season record) and 47 touchdowns and completed 69.3 percent of his pass attempts. Springdale went undefeated with a record of 14–0 and won the Arkansas Class 5A state title, including three wins over nationally-ranked opponents and a No. 2 ranking in one national poll.
On January 7, 2006, Mustain was the starting quarterback for the West team in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
in San Antonio, Texas
, where he was awarded the Hall Trophy
as National High School Player of the Year.
PARADE
named him High School Player of the Year in its January 1, 2006 issue. He was then named Mr. Football in Arkansas by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
. He was also named the 2005–06 Gatorade National Player of the Year
and the 2005 USA Today
National Player of the Year, the first-ever from the state of Arkansas
. Scout.com ranked him as the top high school recruit for the class of 2006. Mustain had told reporters he planned to play for either Notre Dame
, Tennessee
, Alabama
or his home-state Arkansas Razorbacks
.
Mustain was the top quarterback in the nation coming out of high school in 2006. In recognition of his accomplishments, Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose declared December 6, 2005 "Mitch Mustain Day" in the city.
In December 2005, Gus Malzahn
, Mustain's coach at Springdale, was hired to be the new offensive coordinator
at the University of Arkansas; this was widely taken to signal the Razorbacks willingness to shift their offense to adapt to Mustain's style of play. The hiring enabled the Razorbacks to recruit the highly-touted quarterback. On January 16, 2006, Mustain informed Malzahn of his decision to commit to Arkansas, but only after Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis
opted to offer quarterback recruit Jimmy Clausen
over Mustain.
on July 10, 2006 and, in his first game on September 2, 2006, replaced starting quarterback Robert Johnson in the fourth quarter of an eventual 50–14 loss to the USC Trojans
. He immediately put together an 80 yard touchdown
drive against the Trojan defense. The following day, Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt
named Mustain as the starting quarterback for the next game against Utah State, moving Johnson to wide receiver
.
Mustain accumulated a record of 8–0 as a true freshman starter, including a 27–10 win on the road over the No. 2 ranked Auburn Tigers
on October 7, 2006, helping guide the Razorbacks to 11th in the college football rankings. The offense was oriented around what was considered among the nation's best running back tandems, Darren McFadden
(who would be the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy
), Peyton Hillis, and Felix Jones
; as a result, Mustain's statistics did not match his high school numbers in a more pass-oriented offense.
, when Mustain was relieved after one series by sophomore Casey Dick
, who led the Razorbacks for 228 yards and a touchdown. The day after the game, Dick was named the starting quarterback for an upcoming game against No. 13 Tennessee
, with Coach Nutt citing "experience" as the primary reason for the change.
Mustain did not play in the next three games and entered for one series in the final game of the regular season, the SEC
Championship game, on December 2, 2006, against the Florida Gators
.
On December 20, 2006, Nutt announced that Dick would start for the Razorbacks in the January 1, 2007 Capital One Bowl
against the Wisconsin Badgers
; however, he stated that Mustain would also enter the game in the third series. The game resulted in a 17–14 defeat for Arkansas.
Mustain finished the season with 894 yards passing, completing 69 out of 132 passes with 10 touchdown
s and nine interceptions.
, the offensive coordinator
and Mustain's former high school coach, announced he was leaving the Razorbacks to join the University of Tulsa
. The day after Malzahn's announcement, January 16, 2007, Mustain requested permission to transfer to another university and it was, subsequently, granted by Coach Nutt. The announcement was a year to the day after Mustain had initially announced his decision to sign with the Razorbacks out of high school.
(USC) on May 21, 2007. He joined his former Springdale High School
and Arkansas teammate, Damian Williams, who had transferred to USC the previous January.
Under NCAA transfer rules, Mustain sat out the 2007 season and served as the quarterback for the scout team
. On December 19, 2007, he was rewarded with the Service Team Player of the Year (offense) award at the Trojan football team's annual awards banquet.
, with three years of eligibility remaining. During fall camp before the 2008 season, starter Mark Sanchez
suffered a dislocated left kneecap while warming up for practice; the injury sidelined Sanchez and threw his availability for the season opener at Virginia
(and beyond) into question. As a result, Mustain and redshirt freshman Aaron Corp
began alternating repetitions with the first team offense and competing for the possible starting spot. After missing nearly three weeks, Sanchez was cleared to play in the opener on the final day of fall camp; Corp was selected as his back-up because he demonstrated a better command of the offense, however head coach Pete Carroll stated the competition for the back-up spot would continue through the season. The competition resulted in Mustain regaining the second spot for some games and Corp for others throughout the season.
At the end of the 2008 season, Sanchez opted to forgo his final season and enter the NFL Draft
, leaving the competition for the starting position in the 2009 season
open between Mustain, Corp, and in-coming true freshman Matt Barkley
, who like the other two also received major accolades as a high school player. By the end of spring practices, Mustain was placed third in the order behind Corp and Barkley.
Despite being relegated to third-string, Mustain continued to persevere and even tried out at the punter position to try and contribute to the team. By mid-season, better results in practice, and after an injury to Barkley led to a disastrous outing by Corp as the starting quarterback, Mustain had climbed to the second position behind Barkley.
On February 1, 2011, Mustain was arrested on suspicion of selling prescription amphetamines after allegedly selling a substance he passed off as Adderall to an undercover officer. Eventually he entered into a pre-file community service program in order to avoid a more severe sentence.
, and signed a free agent
contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
of the Canadian Football League
on June 1st, 2011. He was released by the Tiger-Cats on June 10th, 2011.
of the Arena Football League
. He will compete with Darnell Kennedy
and R.J. Archer for playing time at quarterback.
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...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who is currently a member of the Georgia Force
Georgia Force
The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings...
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. He played college football at USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Mustain played his freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
year of college at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
in 2006 before transferring to USC in 2007. Under NCAA transfer rules, he sat out the 2007 season
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
and started playing for USC in the 2008 season
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
.
Mustain was one of the most highly decorated high school football players in history, winning every national player of the year award, and was recruited by nearly every major 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...
program in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the 2005-2006 school year. He played sparingly in his first game at Arkansas, but was named the starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
by the second game of the season and achieved a record of 8–0 as a true freshman starter.
Since junior high school, Mustain has accumulated a record of 61–3 (.953) as a starting quarterback (9–1 in eighth grade
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
in 2001, 9–0 in both ninth grade
Ninth grade
Ninth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems. The students are 13 to 15 years of age, depending on when their birthday occurs. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school....
in 2002 and 10th grade in 2003, 12–1 in 11th grade in 2004, 14–0 in 12th grade in 2005, 8–0 as a freshman at Arkansas in 2006, 0–1 in 2010 at USC).
High school career
Springdale High School
Springdale High School is a public high school in Springdale, Arkansas, United States for students in grades ten through twelve. Springdale High School is one of two high schools administered by the Springdale School District, the other being Har-Ber High School. SHS is also an IB World School...
varsity team
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
until late in his sophomore season.
In 2004 as a junior, Mustain was 139-of-222 for 2,169 yards and 20 touchdowns as Springdale posted a 12–1 record and reached the Arkansas Class 5A semifinals. He threw only five interceptions in 222 attempts and rushed for 350 yards and 14 touchdowns.
In 2005 as a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
, Mustain threw for 3,817 yards (an Arkansas Class 5A single season record) and 47 touchdowns and completed 69.3 percent of his pass attempts. Springdale went undefeated with a record of 14–0 and won the Arkansas Class 5A state title, including three wins over nationally-ranked opponents and a No. 2 ranking in one national poll.
On January 7, 2006, Mustain was the starting quarterback for the West team in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
in San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where he was awarded the Hall Trophy
Hall Trophy
The Hall Trophy has been awarded annually since 2000 to the most outstanding high school football player in the United States, comparable to the Heisman Trophy for collegiate football players. The award is named after Ken “Sugarland Express” Hall, the all-time leading rusher in high school...
as National High School Player of the Year.
PARADE
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
named him High School Player of the Year in its January 1, 2006 issue. He was then named Mr. Football in Arkansas by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the newspaper of record in the U.S. state of Arkansas, printed in Little Rock with a northwest edition published in Lowell...
. He was also named the 2005–06 Gatorade National Player of the Year
Gatorade Player of the Year awards
The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to male and female high-school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys' baseball, boys' football, girls' softball, girls' volleyball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, boys' cross country, girls' cross country,...
and the 2005 USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
National Player of the Year, the first-ever from the state of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Scout.com ranked him as the top high school recruit for the class of 2006. Mustain had told reporters he planned to play for either Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
or his home-state Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
.
Mustain was the top quarterback in the nation coming out of high school in 2006. In recognition of his accomplishments, Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose declared December 6, 2005 "Mitch Mustain Day" in the city.
In December 2005, Gus Malzahn
Gus Malzahn
Gus Malzahn is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn University. Malzahn is a high school coaching legend in the state of Arkansas and the former offensive coordinator at University of Arkansas and the University of Tulsa...
, Mustain's coach at Springdale, was hired to be the new offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
at the University of Arkansas; this was widely taken to signal the Razorbacks willingness to shift their offense to adapt to Mustain's style of play. The hiring enabled the Razorbacks to recruit the highly-touted quarterback. On January 16, 2006, Mustain informed Malzahn of his decision to commit to Arkansas, but only after Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis
Charlie Weis
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Weis is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. For five years, from December 2004 through 2009, he was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame...
opted to offer quarterback recruit Jimmy Clausen
Jimmy Clausen
James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school career:Clausen had an outstanding prep career...
over Mustain.
True freshman starter
Mustain enrolled at the University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
on July 10, 2006 and, in his first game on September 2, 2006, replaced starting quarterback Robert Johnson in the fourth quarter of an eventual 50–14 loss to the USC Trojans
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
. He immediately put together an 80 yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
drive against the Trojan defense. The following day, Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt
Houston Nutt
Houston Dale Nutt, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. Most recently he was the head football coach at the University of Mississippi from 2008 to 2011. Previously, he served as the head coach at Murray State University , Boise State University , and the University of Arkansas...
named Mustain as the starting quarterback for the next game against Utah State, moving Johnson to wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
.
Mustain accumulated a record of 8–0 as a true freshman starter, including a 27–10 win on the road over the No. 2 ranked Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
on October 7, 2006, helping guide the Razorbacks to 11th in the college football rankings. The offense was oriented around what was considered among the nation's best running back tandems, Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden is an American football running back who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He played college football for the University of Arkansas from 2005 to 2007...
(who would be the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
), Peyton Hillis, and Felix Jones
Felix Jones
Felix Jones is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. After playing college football and majoring in kinesiology at the University of Arkansas, he was drafted by the Cowboys 22nd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft...
; as a result, Mustain's statistics did not match his high school numbers in a more pass-oriented offense.
Change in status
A turning point occurred on November 4, 2006 in No. 11 Arkansas' 26–20 win over South CarolinaSouth Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
, when Mustain was relieved after one series by sophomore Casey Dick
Casey Dick
Casey Dick is a former college football quarterback for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.- High school career :Dick played for Allen High School in Allen, Texas...
, who led the Razorbacks for 228 yards and a touchdown. The day after the game, Dick was named the starting quarterback for an upcoming game against No. 13 Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the National Collegiate Athletic Association college sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Hamilton is the most recent Men's Athletic Director, but resigned on June 7, 2011, and Joan Cronan is the current Women's...
, with Coach Nutt citing "experience" as the primary reason for the change.
Mustain did not play in the next three games and entered for one series in the final game of the regular season, the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Championship game, on December 2, 2006, against the Florida Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
.
On December 20, 2006, Nutt announced that Dick would start for the Razorbacks in the January 1, 2007 Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
against the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
; however, he stated that Mustain would also enter the game in the third series. The game resulted in a 17–14 defeat for Arkansas.
Mustain finished the season with 894 yards passing, completing 69 out of 132 passes with 10 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and nine interceptions.
Transfer from Arkansas
On January 15, 2007, Gus MalzahnGus Malzahn
Gus Malzahn is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn University. Malzahn is a high school coaching legend in the state of Arkansas and the former offensive coordinator at University of Arkansas and the University of Tulsa...
, the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and Mustain's former high school coach, announced he was leaving the Razorbacks to join the University of Tulsa
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
. The day after Malzahn's announcement, January 16, 2007, Mustain requested permission to transfer to another university and it was, subsequently, granted by Coach Nutt. The announcement was a year to the day after Mustain had initially announced his decision to sign with the Razorbacks out of high school.
Sophomore (2007)
Mustain enrolled at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC) on May 21, 2007. He joined his former Springdale High School
Springdale High School
Springdale High School is a public high school in Springdale, Arkansas, United States for students in grades ten through twelve. Springdale High School is one of two high schools administered by the Springdale School District, the other being Har-Ber High School. SHS is also an IB World School...
and Arkansas teammate, Damian Williams, who had transferred to USC the previous January.
Under NCAA transfer rules, Mustain sat out the 2007 season and served as the quarterback for the scout team
Scout team
In sports, the scout team, also referred to as a practice team, taxi squad, practice squad or practice roster, is a group of players on a team whose task is to emulate future opponents for the featured players. Frequently used in American or Canadian Football, these teams consist of less...
. On December 19, 2007, he was rewarded with the Service Team Player of the Year (offense) award at the Trojan football team's annual awards banquet.
Redshirt sophomore and junior seasons (2008–2009)
Mustain became eligible to play again for the 2008 season2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
, with three years of eligibility remaining. During fall camp before the 2008 season, starter Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall...
suffered a dislocated left kneecap while warming up for practice; the injury sidelined Sanchez and threw his availability for the season opener at Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
(and beyond) into question. As a result, Mustain and redshirt freshman Aaron Corp
Aaron Corp
Aaron Corp is an American football quarterback for the University of Richmond Spiders.-High school:Corp had an outstanding high school career at Orange Lutheran High School. A dual-threat quarterback, Corp completed 212-of-311 of his passes for 2,750 yards, 21 TDs and 7 interceptions, plus ran...
began alternating repetitions with the first team offense and competing for the possible starting spot. After missing nearly three weeks, Sanchez was cleared to play in the opener on the final day of fall camp; Corp was selected as his back-up because he demonstrated a better command of the offense, however head coach Pete Carroll stated the competition for the back-up spot would continue through the season. The competition resulted in Mustain regaining the second spot for some games and Corp for others throughout the season.
At the end of the 2008 season, Sanchez opted to forgo his final season and enter the NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, leaving the competition for the starting position in the 2009 season
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
open between Mustain, Corp, and in-coming true freshman Matt Barkley
Matt Barkley
Matt Barkley is an American football quarterback and student athlete at the University of Southern California, playing for the Trojans football team. As a high school player, Barkley was named 2007 football Gatorade National Player of the Year, and then the 2007 Gatorade national male athlete of...
, who like the other two also received major accolades as a high school player. By the end of spring practices, Mustain was placed third in the order behind Corp and Barkley.
Despite being relegated to third-string, Mustain continued to persevere and even tried out at the punter position to try and contribute to the team. By mid-season, better results in practice, and after an injury to Barkley led to a disastrous outing by Corp as the starting quarterback, Mustain had climbed to the second position behind Barkley.
On February 1, 2011, Mustain was arrested on suspicion of selling prescription amphetamines after allegedly selling a substance he passed off as Adderall to an undercover officer. Eventually he entered into a pre-file community service program in order to avoid a more severe sentence.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Mustain went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, and signed a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
on June 1st, 2011. He was released by the Tiger-Cats on June 10th, 2011.
Georgia Force
On September 30, 2011, Mustain signed with the Georgia ForceGeorgia Force
The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings...
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. He will compete with Darnell Kennedy
Darnell Kennedy
Darnell Kennedy is an Arena Football League quarterback for the Georgia Force. He is also a former Canadian Football League quarterback; he was a backup quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts, the Calgary Stampeders, and the Ottawa Renegades.Kennedy played college football for Alabama State...
and R.J. Archer for playing time at quarterback.
External links
- Mitch Mustain University of Southern California profile
- Mitch Mustain Scout.com profile