Dedicated, resilient, and adaptable.
These are just a few adjectives that can be used to describe Patrick Mullins as a player and as a person.
The forward for Columbus Crew SC is impressive both on and off the field. Born and raised in New Orleans, Mullins played for Jesuit High School and won two state titles with the team. He has been an ambassador for New Orleans and Louisiana soccer his entire career.
Coming from that region presented challenges in itself. It has been five years since he played with the New Orleans Jesters and there is no doubt that he left his mark on the club and New Orleans soccer as a whole. Kenneth Farrell, Jesters General Manager, speaks of him quite fondly.
“At the time he was coming up, he figured out how to get to the top level of the game from the New Orleans area,” Farrell said. “When he started it was not a place where you found top-level soccer players. He has opened the door to let people see that you have great players in that region. In the New Orleans area, at that time, not a lot of players made it out. It was a place that has always been overlooked. He had to make sure people knew what his talent was coming from that region. Taking on that challenge as a youth player you have to give him major credit.”
Mullins went on to have a storied collegiate career with the Maryland Terrapins that included winning the MAC Hermann Trophy award twice as he was recognized as the nation’s top collegiate soccer player. He was a prolific scorer at Maryland and even led all of Division I with 19 goals and 46 points in 2013. He was the Soccer America Player of the Year as well as a two-time First Team All-American selection, two-time First Team All-ACC honoree, and two-time All-ACC Championship Most Valuable Player.
To his head coach at Maryland, Sasho Cirovski, Mullins really stood out as a player.
“Patrick was a goal scorer,” Cirovski noted. “He was always the guy that could win you a game. He also had a terrific work ethic. He was a complete package.”
Mullins tallied an astonishing 47 goals and added 35 assists in 92 career matches at Maryland, leading the Terrapins to the NCAA College Cup in both 2012 and 2013.
Simultaneously, during his collegiate career with the Terrapins, Mullins had a successful career in the NPSL with the Jesters and, undoubtedly, left his mark on that club. By 2012, at age 20, he was one of the club’s all-time leading scorers. Cirovski was well aware of what playing for the Jesters meant to Mullins. “Every summer he went back and played for the Jesters because he took so much pride in being from Louisiana and he wanted to represent his state in any way possible.”
For Mullins, playing with the Jesters was more than an opportunity to fine tune his goal scoring capabilities. Cirovski notes that Mullins drew personal satisfaction from playing with the Jesters.
“He loved going back to connect with his former coaches, teammates, and players,” Cirovski added. “He really enjoyed playing in front of the hometown fans. It was a very happy time for him when he came back during the summer.”
For Mullins, the main thing that sticks out to him about playing with the Jesters was the enjoyment he got from playing in Louisiana.
“The main thing that sticks out to me were the Friday night games were my friends and family were able to attend and bringing a win to the hometown that game me an opportunity to play soccer,” Mullins said with great pride.
Mullins knew that Farrell cared about the Jesters and would always whatever it takes to help the Jesters and its players be successful.
“Coach Farrell always gave me confidence,” Mullins continued. “Which is something you always want out of a coach. I felt that every time I stepped on the field, he had my back.”
Mullins believes that playing for the Jesters gave him the opportunity to develop consistency and professionalism needed to be successful as a player.
After Maryland and the Jesters, Mullins was selected in the first round of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by the New England Revolution. Mullins has starred for four teams: the Revolution, New York City FC, D.C. United, and Crew SC.
Cirovski still follows his former player as a professional soccer player and is impressed by the professionalism that Mullins has demonstrated since entering the MLS.
“Patrick came into the Major League Soccer at a time when it was exploding in growth and competition from international players,” Cirovski concluded. “Everywhere he has been, he has been well-received by the coaches and players. He has rolled with the punches and has been a true professional.”
Not many players have Mullins’ resilience. According to Farrell, Mullins has overcome significant challenges on and off the field and impressed fans and his peers for years.
“From the outside looking in, I think he has taken on every challenge given to him,” Farrell said.
“Including playing for four different teams. He has been impactful on every team he has played for in his career. Changing coaches and teams all of the time is challenging. He has had to adjust his game to every coach. He is very adaptable.”
Despite entering a changing MLS and playing for four teams in the past five years, Mullins has scored 26 goals, competing in the regular season, playoffs, and U.S. Open Cup. The New Orleans, LA native also holds the distinction of scoring the fastest four goals in MLS history, having accomplished the feat in only 31 minutes.
Farrell believes that Mullins has the potential to be even more successful after he has had the chance to play with a club consistently.
“Through no fault of his own he has had to move teams four times,” Farrell commented. “I have no doubt that he will extremely successful scoring goals on a consistent basis when he is playing regularly for the same team. No one can ignore the talent he brings. When there is consistency with the same team over time…you will see how brilliant Pat Mullins can be as a player.”
For the rest of the season with Columbus Crew SC, Mullins is ready to contribute his best when called upon. There’s no question that Mullins is still hard at work.
Farrell’s message is simple: “Believe in his ability to create chances. Believe in his ability to score goals. He can separate games. He can win games. And when you can do that on a consistent basis, you become priceless.”
