Age: 26
2nd
season in pro football & with Bisons/Bills
College: Xavier
(OH)
Height: 5’9” Weight: 180
Prelude:
Mutryn, who
played basketball and baseball as well as football in college, was a two-time
Little All-American. Proficient on defense and as a kicker in addition to
starring at tailback, he set school records with 12 touchdowns and 96 points
scored in 1942. He was chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 20th
round of the ’43 NFL draft but, following service in the US Navy during World
War II, he signed with the Cleveland Browns of the new AAFC in 1946. Mutryn was
dealt to the Buffalo Bisons prior to the season where he was reunited with Clem
Crowe, his coach at Xavier who was now an assistant with Buffalo. In his first
AAFC season, Mutryn rushed for 289 yards, averaging 5.1 yards-per-carry, and
caught seven passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns. His role increased with
the re-named Bills in 1947.
1947 Season Summary
Appeared in all
14 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Rushing
Attempts – 140
[7]
Yards – 868 [4]
Yards per
attempt – 6.2 [2]
TDs – 9 [2,
tied with Mickey Colmer]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 10
Yards – 176
Yards per
catch – 17.6
TDs – 2 [16,
tied with fourteen others]
Interceptions
Interceptions
– 1
Return yards
– 11
TDs – 0
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 21
[2, tied with Monk Gafford]
Yards – 691 [1]
Average per
return – 32.9 [1]
TDs – 1 [1,
tied with five others]
Longest
return – 87 yards
Punt Returns
Returns – 13 [4,
tied with Billy Hillenbrand]
Yards – 187 [4]
Average per
return – 14.4
TDs – 0
All-Purpose
yards – 1933 [2]
Kicking
PATs – 1 [11,
tied with five others]
PAT attempts
– 2 [11, tied with Chet Adams & Frankie Albert]
Scoring
PATs – 1
TDs – 12 [2]
Points – 73 [3]
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-AAFC: League, NY Daily News
Bills went 8-4-2
to finish second in the AAFC Eastern Division.
Aftermath:
Mutryn
followed up with strong all-around seasons in 1948 and ’49. He rushed for 823
yards and a league-leading 10 TDs in ’48 while catching 39 passes for 794 yards
(20.4 avg.) and again led the AAFC by averaging 26.3 yards returning kickoffs.
He topped the circuit with 2288 all-purpose yards and 96 points on his 16
touchdowns. Mutryn again led the league in all-purpose yards with 1330 in 1949,
which included 696 rushing yards and 333 on pass receptions. With the demise of
the AAFC, he joined the Baltimore Colts, who transferred to the NFL, and gained
1187 total yards, primarily with 355 rushing yards and 379 on 36 catches in
1950, after which he retired. Overall, Mutryn gained 3031 yards on 583 rushing
attempts (5.2 avg.), 1850 on 121 pass receptions, averaged 26.1 yards on 73
kickoff returns, and 13.1 yards returning 41 punts. He accumulated 7320
all-purpose yards and 42 touchdowns. Of those totals, 2676 rushing yards on 475
attempts, 1471 yards on 85 pass receptions, a 27.7-yard kickoff return average
and 14.1 punt return average resulting in 6133 total yards and 38 TDs came in
the AAFC with Buffalo. He received first-team All-AAFC honors three times.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
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