Henry Melton
Encyclopedia
Henry Melton is a defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears
of the National Football League
. He is an alumnus of the University of Texas
. Born in Cedar Hill, Texas
, he was a running back
for the 2005 National Championship team
, and he has also played on special teams.
Melton was a second-team "All-USA" selection by USA Today
; he gained over 800 yards and
scored eight touchdown
s as a senior. He earned All-District (5-5A) honors as a junior while rushing for over 800 yards and 12 TDs and averaged 6.2 yards per carry in 2003. He also gained over 800 yards as a sophomore.
Ragin' Cajuns
. Melton was a backup running back in his first two seasons. He carried 132 times for 625 yards (4.7-yard average) and 16 touchdowns.
Over the summer prior to the 2007 Longhorn football season
, Melton and teammate Sergio Kindle
were arrested in separate incidents on charges of driving while intoxicated. Both players were suspended from the team for the first three games of the season. They were required to do community service and missed the first two days of practice in order to visit with a woman whose son was crippled by a drunk driver.
Melton became a starter in his senior season and had 29 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks. As a backup defensive end as a junior, he made 11 tackles with one sack.
in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. On May 29, 2009, Melton agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Bears. Melton registered his first NFL sack on Brett Favre
during a Week 10 game against the Minnesota Vikings
.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He is an alumnus of the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. Born in Cedar Hill, Texas
Cedar Hill, Texas
Cedar Hill is a city in Dallas and Ellis Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located approximately sixteen miles southwest of downtown Dallas and is situated along the eastern shore of Joe Pool Lake and Cedar Hill State Park. The population was 32,093 at the 2000 census...
, he was a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the 2005 National Championship team
2005 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...
, and he has also played on special teams.
Early years
While attending Grapevine High SchoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
Melton was a second-team "All-USA" selection by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
; he gained over 800 yards and
scored eight touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s as a senior. He earned All-District (5-5A) honors as a junior while rushing for over 800 yards and 12 TDs and averaged 6.2 yards per carry in 2003. He also gained over 800 yards as a sophomore.
College career
Melton's first appearance as a Longhorn was on September 3, 2005 against the Louisiana-LafayetteUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football
The Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football program is a college football team that represents the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference.-Football classifications:*1937–1962: National Junior College Athletic Association...
. Melton was a backup running back in his first two seasons. He carried 132 times for 625 yards (4.7-yard average) and 16 touchdowns.
Over the summer prior to the 2007 Longhorn football season
2007 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2007 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mack Brown, who received the 2005 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year award...
, Melton and teammate Sergio Kindle
Sergio Kindle
-Baltimore Ravens:Although deemed a first-round talent by most analysts, many teams were scared off by Kindle's often-injured knee and his off-the-field incidents. Kindle fell into the second round and was ultimately drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, 43rd overall. He said in a press conference...
were arrested in separate incidents on charges of driving while intoxicated. Both players were suspended from the team for the first three games of the season. They were required to do community service and missed the first two days of practice in order to visit with a woman whose son was crippled by a drunk driver.
Melton became a starter in his senior season and had 29 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks. As a backup defensive end as a junior, he made 11 tackles with one sack.
Pre-draft
Melton measured 6-3⅛ and 269 pounds and ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at the University of Texas Pro Day. He bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times, had a vertical leap of 34½" and a broad jump of 10'1".Chicago Bears
He was drafted by the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. On May 29, 2009, Melton agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Bears. Melton registered his first NFL sack on Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
during a Week 10 game against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.