James David Melka (born January 15, 1962) is a former linebacker in the National Football League (NFL).
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | January 15, 1962 West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | West Allis (WI) Central | ||||
| College: | Wisconsin | ||||
| NFL draft: | 1985 / round: 12 / pick: 330 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Biography
editMelka was born on January 15, 1962, in West Allis, Wisconsin.[1] He attended West Allis Central High School where he was an All-America running back.[2]
Career
editMelka played at the collegiate level at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was named to the All-Big Ten team twice.[2] He was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1985 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but broke his navicular bone in his wrist playing in a pickup basketball game.[3][4] He was placed on waivers on August 19, 1985,[5] and would later go on to be a member of the Green Bay Packers.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Jim Melka". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- ^ a b Scheiber, Dave (July 25, 1985). "Buc pick's big break was anything but a lucky one". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 31, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1985 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ Randle, Ervin (July 19, 1985). "Buccaneers sign draftees Randle, Melka". The Tampa Tribune. Retrieved August 31, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Melka put on waivers". Marshfield News-Herald. August 19, 1985. Retrieved September 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "When Packers called Melka responded". Kenosha News. October 10, 1987. Retrieved September 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.