James Melka

James Melka
No. 52
PositionLinebacker
Personal information
Born (1962-01-15) January 15, 1962 (age 64)
West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S.
Listed height
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight
235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolWest Allis Central
CollegeWisconsin
NFL draft1985: 12th round, 330th overall pick
Career history
* Offseason or practice squad member only
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

James David Melka (born January 15, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Biography

Melka was born on January 15, 1962, in West Allis, Wisconsin. He attended West Allis Central High School where he was an All-America running back. As a senior, he rushed for over 1,600 yards. Melka is featured in his high school's Athletic Wall of Fame.

Football career

Melka played linebacker at the collegiate level at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was named to the All-Big Ten team twice. Playing under coach Dave McClain, Melka led the Badgers in tackles each of his last three seasons at Wisconsin.

Against Purdue at Ross–Ade Stadium in 1982, Melka recovered a blocked punt and returned it 32 yards for Wisconsin's game-winning touchdown with 29 seconds left. In 1983, the Badgers clinched a 35-31 win over Iowa when Melka blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown with 32 seconds left.

In the 1984 Hall of Fame Classic against the Kentucky Wildcats, Melka recorded 14 tackles, which is tied for the second-most total tackles by a Wisconsin player in a bowl game in school history.

According to news reports, Melka "made a good showing" playing for coach Joe Restic of Harvard at the 60th annual East–West Shrine Bowl held at Stanford Stadium on January 5, 1985.

He was selected in the 12 round of the 1985 NFL draft by Tampa Bay. However, he broke his navicular bone in his wrist playing in a pickup basketball game and never appeared in a game for the Buccaneers. He was placed on waivers on August 19, 1985. He signed with the Buffalo Bills on February 21, 1986, but he broke his foot two weeks into training camp and spent the entire season on injured reserve. As a Bills player, he cast one of the preliminary votes on union matters relating to what would become the 1987 NFL Players Strike. The Bills waived him on July 30, 1987. During the strike in 1987, Melka became a member of the Green Bay Packers, coached by Forrest Gregg.

After the NFL, he became a firefighter in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Government records show that he held the job of Fire Equipment Operator from 2017 to 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "Jim Melka". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  2. 1 2 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.
  3. ↑ Lucas, Mike (November 11, 2005). "TACKLING TOUGH TIMES - ONE PLAY NEARLY COST JIM AND DENISE MELKA THEIR SON". Capital Times. Retrieved October 10, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: miscellaneous url (link)
  4. ↑ Ford-Stewart, Jane. "West Allis Central athletic hall of fame dotted with surprisingly many Olympic, professional and national notables". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
  5. 1 2 "When Packers called Melka responded". Kenosha News. October 10, 1987. Retrieved September 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Lucas, Mike (October 19, 1991). "Capital Times".{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: miscellaneous url (link)
  7. ↑ Radcliffe, J. R. "Where does Graham Mertz's outing rank among the best quarterback performances in Wisconsin history?". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Wisconsin Edged by Kentucky 20-19 in Hall of Fame Bowl". Wisconsin Badgers. September 6, 2026. Retrieved October 10, 2026.
  9. ↑ Archives, L. A. Times (January 6, 1985). "East-West Shrine Game : Cunningham Leads West to 21-10 Victory". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 13, 2026.
  10. ↑ Randle, Ervin (July 19, 1985). "Buccaneers sign draftees Randle, Melka". The Tampa Tribune. Retrieved August 31, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Melka put on waivers". Marshfield News-Herald. August 19, 1985. Retrieved September 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Schultz, Rob. "UW OFFERS $1 MILLION DEAL< AND DEGREE IS SURER THAN PROS". Capital Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: miscellaneous url (link)
  13. ↑ "James Melka D | GovSalaries". govsalaries.com. Retrieved October 11, 2026.