By Matt Wilson

For the FCT

The 25^th anniversary of Chucky Mullins’ life-altering injury came and went on Oct. 28.

For Mike Reeps, the day was not easy, but he traveled out to Mullins’ grave and came across Brad Gaines, a name intertwined with the story of Chucky Mullins and his death.

“I’ve been to the grave often since his passing,” Reeps said.

“I’ve probably been out there over a hundred times, but this was the first time that I ran into Gaines.”

Brad Gaines was the Vanderbilt football player that Mullins tackled when he injured himself and became paralyzed, an injury that eventually lead to his death.

“Gaines visits the gravesite three times a year and has done so every year since Chucky’s passing,” Reeps said. “He comes down from Nashville on May 6, October 28 and on Christmas.”

May 6 is the day that Mullins passed away and Oct. 28 is the day that Mullins was injured and paralyzed.

Reeps was five years older than Mullins, but he said they grew up and hung around each other a lot.

“I used to run an arcade in town and Chucky would come in and play games in there a lot,” Reeps said. “I used to slip him some tokens when he’d come in so he could play.

“We used to play pickup basketball at Eastside. That guy was just really likeable.”

Reeps said that Gaines was happy to meet someone who knew Mullins.

“He brings jugs of water and a bunch of rags out there and cleans his grave stone and I guess he has a ritual or whatever and likes to talk to Chucky by himself,” Reeps said. “But he was happy to meet me and talk with me about Chucky.”

Reeps said it was tough for him to go see Mullins once he came back to Russellville just before he passed.

“It took everything I had to go see him once he came back to Russellville,” Reeps said.

“Chucky made it easy though. He would crack jokes when I would come in.”

Reeps said that was part of what made Mullins so likeable to everyone he ever met.

“Chucky was a real approachable guy,” Reeps said. “He was easy to like and I guess that’s why everyone did.

“You never heard Chucky ask, ‘Why me?’ after he got hurt,” Reeps continued. “He was just a positive guy and he never questioned things like that.”

For Reeps, the passing of his childhood friend was not an easy thing to deal with, but meeting and talking to others like Gaines always helps.

“It is something I will probably never get over,” Reeps said. “But it gets better with time.”