A Michigan Man

MILTON -- It's safe to say Kalel Mullings was an early bloomer. Milton Academy football coach Kevin Macdonald first saw Mullings play as a fifth-grader, and knew he wanted the youngster to one day become a Mustang.

Starting for Milton Academy by the time he was a freshman, Mullings got to November of that year and had defensive coordinator Don Brown from the University of Michigan offering him a full scholarship. Earlier this fall, after sifting through more than 40 college offers, Mullings indeed committed to join head coach Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines next year as a linebacker.

Oct. 15 was another celebration for the Mustang senior, as more than 200 of his schoolmates crowded into the Milton Academy gym to see him officially recognized as an All-American, and receive his official jersey for the All-American Bowl -- an East vs. West matchup of top-notch high school players scheduled for Jan. 4 in San Antonio's Alamodome, broadcast live on NBC. Mullings is the only Massachusetts player invited and is widely judged to be the top gridiron recruit in the Bay State this year.

Boston City Councillor Matt O'Malley started the festivities with a pair of official proclamations, one a resolution from the Boston City Council lauding West Roxbury resident Mullings for his glittery athletic career and academic excellence. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh also sent a certificate recognizing Mullings for his achievements as well as his commitment to West Roxbury and Boston.

"To be the No. 1 player in Massachusetts, and offered a scholarship to Michigan at age 14, as a high school freshman is just amazing," said O'Malley. "At that age I was just hoping someone would invite me to the school dance. Kalel now goes on to join the Michigan football tradition that includes Ty Law, Tom Brady, Charles Woodson ... and President Gerry Ford. I mention that because Kalel is a real renaissance man, whose mother tells me he is also quite the saxophone player, but also an outstanding student. Kalel is exactly what this country needs."

Mercedes Resendis, representing the All-American Bowl and NBC Sports, took the podium next. Posters of some previous participants in the game flanked the stage, including Tim Tebow (2006), Patrick Peterson (2008), current Ohio State defensive end Chase Young (2017) and current Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (2018). Resendis noted that the All-American Bowl is the most elite high school game in the country, and going into its 20th year. Explaining that only 100 players from all over the United States are invited, she noted that the game has been the highest-rated high school sports event on television.

Macdonald then admitted he'd seen few athletes with Mullings tools when he first laid eyes on that fifth-grader.

"Kalel was clearly the best fifth-grader in the state," said Macdonald. "I was not surprised when he was starting for us on varsity as a 13-year old freshman, and he more than held his own against 17-, 18-, 19-year-old kids. The best part is that Kalel never changed -- he's the same kind, affable, outgoing kid he was when we first met him."

Macdonald then told of how a parent with a student playing sports for Roxbury Latin had written the Milton Academy Athletic Department a letter about Mullings, not knowing he was a football star. The parent had come to Milton Academy to see their child's team play against a Mustang squad, but was momentarily lost on campus. They asked the first student they saw for directions to the field and game they were seeking, and Mullings not only helped them, he walked them across campus to the field, asking about their school and team and telling them all about Milton Academy. That simple request for directions led to a warm and wonderful encounter with such a warm and gregarious young man, the letter read, that this parent had to write and note the indelible impression of the school and Mullings it had left.

Mullings himself was short and sweet when he got up to speak.

"My selection to this bowl has been one of my goals since my freshman year," said Mullings, who has helped the Mustangs off to a 5-0 start this season. "My past four years at Milton Academy have been a dream come true, and I plan to represent our state well. I fully admit none of this would be possible without my teammates, my classmates and everyone else here -- we are a family at Milton Academy, and I thank all of you for embracing me. This is your award, too. I am happy to join the list of players who've played in this game before, Ezekiel Elliott, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jalen Ramsey, among others."

Later, offstage, Mullings said he was excited to play in the bowl game after his Mustangs career concludes.

"It's a great feeling to know that all of my hard work paid off," said Mullings. "It will be hard to leave here, because everyone has supported me, and cares about me here. I don't have too much preference whether they play me on offense or defense in this game -- I just want to play ball."

The two proudest people in the gym had to be parents Del and Calicia Mullings, as speaker after speaker lauded their son.

"Kalel started playing football at 7 years old," Del Mullings explained. "Although he stood out, we realized he was often bigger, stronger and faster than the other kids, so we never tried to hold him back. We always let him 'play up,' against the older kids, so he always knew he had to keep working hard. As a 13 year old playing varsity, his size didn't matter like it had, but he still did well."

"I'm a sports fan overall and so I guess kind of a Michigan fan," Del admitted. "Coach Don Brown was our contact here, and he is, of course, well known from his years coaching UMass and at Boston College. He and Coach Harbaugh made an agreement with us early on, when they first offered Kalel in his freshman year. They just asked us to remember they'd been the first ones to offer him a scholarship, and please allow them Kalel's last official campus visit -- you are allowed five different campus visits as a senior. They said if we could agree on that, they would not harass us, and they kept their word."

"It came down to five schools basically at the end," noted Del Mullings. "Michigan, Boston College, Wisconsin, Stanford and Northwestern. Interestingly, Northwestern and Michigan wanted him as a linebacker, and the other three all wanted him as a running back. But we were more focused on schools with top academics, so it came down to Michigan, Stanford and Northwestern. And ultimately we decided playing in 'the Big House' fulfilled all of our hopes and desires, playing on that kind of stage, and also getting the benefit of top-notch academics."

Kalel will be heading off to play for Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback and head coach, and defensive coordinator Brown next season, but in the meantime has he heard from that other Michigan guy living and working in the Boston area?

"We haven't had any contact from Tom Brady yet," Del Mullings chuckled. "But there is a connection, so you never know. Kalel's first Pop Warner coach was Dan Kraft, one of Bob Kraft's sons. And Joey Kraft, Dan's son, was one of Kalel's best friends at that time when they were both playing. Joey has gone on to become quite a lacrosse player, but he and Kalel were good friends as young kids, and Dan was their first Pop Warner coach."