Paddy Mullen expected the intensity. It's the variety that he didn't see coming.

When Mullen signed with Notre Dame in February, the St. Louis, Mo., athlete immediately began an off-season transformation from prep tight end to college defensive lineman. Mullen played both spots the past three years at DeSmet Jesuit but wanted to spend his college career catching passes, not batting them down.

But Notre Dame's defensive line shortage and tight end wealth prompted Mullen to both switch sides and pack on pounds. He's already added nearly 10 pounds to his 6-foot-5 frame, now tipping the scales at almost 275.

The correspondence course with strength and conditioning coach Ruben Mendoza has been an enlightening experience, even for an athlete who spent plenty of time in the gym during high school. A regular patron at Velocity Sports Performance, an upscale training facility outside St. Louis, even Mullen's experience with weights didn't fully prepare him for his early results.

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