Because Mamula's subsequent NFL career did not track with projections extrapolated based upon his top combine showing, he is often pejoratively referred to as a "Workout Warrior" and his name is frequently invoked when players go into the combine as relative unknowns and come out as hot properties. Michael David Smith wrote an article for "The New York Times" in 2008 refuting these characterizations, noting that scouts were impressed with Mamula's play while he was at BC and arguing that Mamula had an underrated career.