Countdown to 2020 IUFB Kickoff: Three Days (Tiawan Mullen)
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Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)
We are just three days away from the start of the 2020 Indiana football season. The Hoosiers are scheduled to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, October 24th at 3:30pm (FS1). Today we highlight two players who come into the year with sky-high expectations, corner back Tiawan Mullen and wide receiver Ty Fryfogle (posting later).
Name – Tiawan Mullen
Position – CB (Sophomore)
Hometown –Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Coconut Creek)
Height – 6’0”
Weight – 213
Mullen burst on to the scene in 2019 with an All-Big Ten caliber true freshman season. A standout in high school and a family tree that includes his brother Trayvon, who is currently on the Raiders, and cousin Lamar Jackson.
Mullen had 13 pass break ups, which led all freshmen in the Big Ten, shared the team lead in fumble recoveries and forced fumbles with two. He also made 25 solo stops. Mullen started eight games and played in all 13 for the Hoosiers in 2019.
Indiana cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby holds Mullen to the highest of standards.
“He does a lot of great things and he has had a lot of press clippings” Shelby said. “For me, I have to coach him even harder about the little things, where are his feet, his eyes, his hand placement. When he messes up, he might get 50 yards of up-downs, while someone else might only get 10. I am a lot harder on him because, at the end of the day, a lot of players that have a successful freshman year usually fall into a sophomore slump.”
Shelby is not the only one who is hard on the sophomore star. Mullen himself gets why he is coached harder.
“What I did last year, it was great and everything, but with Coach Shelby behind me, I need to push harder” Mullen said. “I know his expectations, so he doesn't need to push or yell at me. Just doing whatever I need to do for the team and things like that. Just reach the team goals and whatever accolades that's for me out there will come after we reach the team goals.”