Ovie Mughelli

Ovie Phillip Mughelli (born June 10, 1980) is an American football fullback who last played for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Wake Forest University, he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He is currently a free agent.

High school career
Mughelli attended Porter-Gaud School and a letterman in football, basketball, tennis, and track & field. In football, he rushed for more than 4,500 yards and scored 69 touchdowns during his career at Porter-Gaud, and he rushed for 2,167 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior. He was named the team's MVP for three years, was a three-time All-Conference selection, and as a senior, he was also named the State Player of the Year in his classification and was a Regional All-Star selection in all division. He also led the team to a state title in 1996 and state runner-up honors during his senior year in 1997.

College career
Mughelli attended Wake Forest University and was a letterman in football. A fullback in college, Ovie was selected for All ACC First-Team in that position. He started every game in his senior year as a Demon Deacon, coming in with the third highest rushing touchdown record in school history. He was rated the number one fullback by USA Today.

Baltimore Ravens
Mughelli was selected with the 134th overall pick (fourth round) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens; the choice was a compensatory pick. He was the second fullback selected in Baltimore's franchise history (the first was Steve Lee in the sixth round of the 1997 NFL Draft); he was also the second Wake Forest player selected in the history of the team, since the NFL merger.

It was during the 2006 season that Mughelli recorded his first ever NFL touchdown. He also went all-Pro for the first time in his career.

Atlanta Falcons
In 2007, Mughelli signed with the Atlanta Falcons to block for running backs Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood. On March 2, Mughelli signed a 6-year, $18 million contract with a $5 million signing bonus. The contract was the largest given to a fullback in NFL history at the time.

In 2010, Mughelli went all-Pro for the second time in his career, the first being in 2006, and was elected to his first ever Pro Bowl. He also recorded the fourth receiving touchdown of his career.

He was released by the Falcons on May 8, 2012.

St. Louis Rams
Mughelli signed a contract with the St. Louis Rams on July 28, 2012. He was released on August 31, 2012.

Community service
Currently, Ovie is gearing to make his mark in the sports industry, off the field, with his new position as Sports Analyst for CBS Radio in Atlanta. Ovie is also heavily involved with his community, especially through his award-winning Ovie Mughelli Foundation, which empowers the youth to take ownership and pride about their lives and the roles that they play in society. The Foundation emphasizes assisting quality programs that educate the youth on the environment.