Honors & Awards
- Nebraska's First All-American Guard (1928)
- All-Big Six (1927, 1928)
- Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Inductee (1979)
One of the several dominant linemen to play for Nebraska during the late 1920s under Coach Ernest E. Bearg, Dan McMullen owns the distinction of being the first Cornhusker guard to earn All-America honors in 1928.
As a senior in 1928, McMullen captured first-team All-Big Six honors for the second straight season while becoming the fifth Husker in history to capture All-America accolades.
McMullen led Bearg's final Nebraska team to a 7-1-1 overall record and a perfect 5-0 mark in the Big Six. The 1928 season marked NU's first year in the new Big Six, as the Huskers claimed the league's inaugural championship. NU's only loss during McMullen's senior season came with a 13-3 setback at Army on Nov. 24, 1928, which followed a scoreless tie to Pittsburgh in Lincoln on Nov. 17. One of the highlights of McMullen's senior year came with a 44-6 thrashing of Oklahoma in Norman on Nov. 10.
As a junior in 1927, McMullen helped the Huskers to a 6-2 overall record and a 4-1 Missouri Valley Conference mark. NU's only blemishes came with a 7-6 loss at Missouri in the season's second game, and a 21-13 setback at Pittsburgh on Nov. 12.
McMullen earned his first letter as a Husker in 1926, when he aided NU's 6-2 campaign that included a 5-1 mark in Missouri Valley Conference action.
Following his NU career, the Belleville, Kan., native played in the East-West Shrine game in San Franciso. His career preceded the NFL Draft, but he signed a contract to start his professional career with the New York Giants in 1929. He spent two seasons with the Chicago Bears in 1930 and 1931, before concluding his four-year pro career with the Portsmouth Spartans in 1932.
McMullen was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1979.