Vern Elmo Mullen (February 27, 1900 – September 14, 1980) was a professional football player from Taylorville, Illinois.
While at Illinois, Mullen also competed in track and field, was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity, and participated in student opera.
He left college to play in the game with nine other Illinois players.
The game was well-publicized, but the college players' participation was not revealed until late January 1922.
This incident led to a revision of the eligibility rules and codes in the Big Ten Conference and the appointment of a full-time commissioner.