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Article published September 1, 2010
Mueller set for Mars Hall
This is the second of a five-part series profiling the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2010. The five members will be honored at a dinner Sept. 10 at Mars Middle School.
ADAMS TWP — After an athlete's playing days are over, having no regrets can be a reward in itself. Such is the case with Brandon Mueller, one of five people who will be inducted into the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 10. Mueller played football, hockey and was a key member on the Planets' track-and-field team before graduating in 2000. He then starred at Princeton University, earning All-Ivy League honors at safety after his junior and senior seasons. In 2006, he signed a free-agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts, who were set to send him to NFL Europe to play for the Frankfurt Galaxy. "Before I left for Europe, they gave me a physical and discovered there was something wrong with my neck," Mueller said. "I didn't pass the physical and that was it. "Every football player's dream is to play in the NFL. For a while, it's right there in front of you and you're living the dream. Then, it's taken away. "It was disappointing, but you have to put it behind you. It's all worked out for the best for me. I wouldn't change a thing," he added. Mueller, who is engaged to be married, is now an insurance broker living in Allegheny County. He looks back on his high school days fondly and with good reason. As the starting senior fullback in coach Scott Heinauer's Wing-T offense, Mueller rushed for 1,139 yards and 17 touchdowns in 1999. He graduated third on the school's all-time rushing list with 2,021 yards. "I had the best time playing high school football," said Mueller. "Friday night, under the lights and the whole town comes out to see you — it was a great atmosphere." Just before graduating from high school, Mueller helped to leave one more mark on Mars athletics. Along with his younger brother, Brad, Brandon teamed with Brian Sondej and Andy Matakis on the track-and-field team's 400-meter relay squad. The quartet set a school record of 43.4 seconds that still stands and it's the fifth-best time ever run by a Butler County school. Next up for Mueller was the challenge of excelling on the football field and in the classroom at Princeton. He managed to do both. Along with majoring in politics, he started 35 games for the Tigers and totaled 236 tackles, 41 passes defensed, eight sacks and six interceptions. "It was tough when I first got there," Mueller said of juggling football and academics. "But you know what you're there to do. You just have to learn to balance both and I did." Mueller also saluted his parents, Paul and Jaime, who still live in Valencia.
