Not many football players can say they once were a colt and now are a mule.

It’s what has happened for former Marian standout, Ryan Malarkey. The three-year starter at offensive right tackle has been one of the leaders for the Muhlenberg College Mules that just completed a perfect 10-0 regular season.

The late Muhlenberg head coach, Mike Donnelly, recruited Malarkey, who had been scouted by Lehigh, Lafayette, Bucknell, and Colgate.

“Coach Donnelly said to me that I might not play, and I might not even get into the college,” said Malarkey. “I like challenges, and when I saw the campus and their dining hall where they served meatloaf stackers and all kinds of gourmet and ethnic foods, I knew Muhlenberg is where I wanted to be.”

The Allentown college also has two other local players on its roster: Dominic Palumbo from Lehighton and Seth Paluck from Marian. Both see action on the Mules’ special teams and Paluck, a freshman running back, has gotten an occasional handoff.

Not too long after he learned how to walk, Malarkey was on the gridiron playing flag football for the Jim Thorpe Booster Club. He moved up to Marian’s Little Colts, and then played eighth- and ninth-grade football for their sub varsity team.

“I played center then, and I really liked that,” he said. “I got to touch the ball every play and being at the apex of the line, I could recognize defensive formations and blitz alignments.”

From the center position, Malarkey also was given a leadership role, which he says has transferred to his role at right tackle for the Mules.

As a freshman, Malarkey still played center and appeared in five games for Muhlenberg.

“We had an experienced and really good O line, and I learned a lot that year.”

He was moved to the guard position by new head coach, Nate Milne, but a season-ending injury to the starting right tackle opened an opportunity for Malarkey to play there.

“I needed to learn a whole different technique, but I told coach that I’d do anything to help the team.”

“If you watch Ryan on film, you can see how tenacious he plays,” said Milne. “He lays it on the line every single play and even in practice, he never takes a play off.”

Malarkey’s confidence and leadership skills increased game by game.

“Against Gettysburg this year, I ran a play off left tackle near the goal line for no gain,” said Milne. “When Ryan came off the field, he asked me why I didn’t run the play off his side. He’s super smart, too. He can recognize defensive alignments. He sees things before they happen and communicates this to the rest of the line. He’s a good run blocker and has really improved his pass protection as well.”

Malarkey believes his mental approach is the strongest part of his game.

“I have a head for football,” he said. “I watch film and learn how to attack my opponent. I have short arms that are a disadvantage, so my first step is key. I have pretty quick feet, and that also helps protecting inside and outside gaps against blitzes.”

Muhlenberg has been a football giant in DIII football during Malarkey’s four-year tenure, posting a 38-7 record. Last year the team made an appearance in the Elite Eight of the National Championship tournament and this year they won the Centennial Conference title.

Malarkey says practicing against the Mules’ defensive front that includes two All-Americans and a 6-3, 250-pound “animal” who lines up across the line of scrimmage from him prepares him for any opponent that should come his way.

Last season he was selected Second Team All Centennial Conference and voted the Mules’ Team Dominator. This season he was chosen First Team All Centennial Conference.

Malarkey is a physics major and a math minor. He has made the Dean’s List two semesters this academic year.

The undefeated Mules, who average 42 points a game, host MIT on Saturday in the first round of the DIII playoffs. A victory would match them up with the winner of the West New England-Brockport contest.

Four wins will put Muhlenberg in the National Championship game at the Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Shenandoah, Texas.

“We don’t put our minds into seeing that far ahead,” he said. “We have to play one game at a time and it starts against MIT.”

For Ryan Malarkey, who has started 35 consecutive games for the Mules, you can bet he’ll bring his “A” game for his 36th on Saturday at noon.