Former walk on tries beating the odds again

A local athlete's dream of playing in the National Football League is in the hands of the Buffalo Bills.

Former UB point guard Byron Mulkey has another chance to pursue his lifelong dream of playing professional football. The 5-foot-11, 186-pound defensive back was invited to try out for the Bills this week as part of team's voluntary mini-camp.

After not being awarded a contract at the conclusion of voluntary mini-camp last season, Mulkey pursued one again this week.

"Being able to get that call back it did a lot for my confidence and it showed me that there is something that they see there," Mulkey said. "I continued to train and felt that an opportunity would come up once again.

"I left with the feedback that they were pleased with what I put out on the field and the meeting room and the entire experience."

The transition from basketball to football has not been difficult, as his quick feet have allowed him to keep up on the field.

"Just being able to break down the schemes in the meeting rooms is probably the most difficult," Mulkey said. "Once I was able to sit down and see what we were trying to get out of it, then the game became slower once I got on the field."

This week, he backpedaled and guarded receivers just like he did on the field at local Niagara Wheatfield High School in hopes of earning a spot on the Bills' preseason roster.

In 2005, Mulkey was an All-Western New York standout in football and he received interest from Ivy League schools Princeton, Brown and Harvard.

After playing basketball at UB for five years (redshirting one year), Mulkey has been trying to bulk up to compete with the athletes on the football field.

Mulkey will have to wait and see if the Bills offer him a shot. Until then, he will keep visualizing his dream of walking out of the tunnel at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sundays.

"It would be exciting," Mulkey said. "It would be kind of surreal, being a hometown kid and growing up and watching [the Bills] every Sunday ... Just being able to wear the jersey and do things in that nature would be very surreal and something that would be one of the biggest moments of my life."

At the age of 24, he sees no reason to stop trying.

"My mindset is as long as you can, keep playing," Mulkey said. "As long as my body can continue to do it and I feel confident with it, you know I will try and continue to keep it alive.

Mulkey is also interested in the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com