Mel West

Melvin Gerald West (January 14, 1939 — November 20, 2003) was an American football running back who played in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at Missouri.

Mel West

Personal information
Born:	(1939-01-14)January 14, 1939 Columbia, Missouri, U.S.
Died:	November 20, 2003(2003-11-20) (aged 64) Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:	Jefferson City (Jefferson City, Missouri)
College:	Missouri
Position:	Running back
NFL draft:	1961 / Round: 15 / Pick: 204
AFL draft:	1961 / Round: 11 / Pick: 82
Career history
Boston Patriots (1961) New York Titans (1961–1962)
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Big Eight (1960) 2× Second-team All-Big Eight (1958, 1959)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 81 Rushing yards: 338 Rushing Touchdowns: 3 Receptions: 14 Receiving yards: 147 Return yards: 488
Player stats at PFR

College career

Along with Norris Stevenson who was the first, West was the second African American scholarship player at Missouri. He led the Tigers in rushing and total offense for three straight seasons. West was named first-team All-Big Eight Conference as a senior in 1960 and rushing for 650 yards and scoring five touchdowns.^[1] West left Missouri as the school's all-time leading rusher with 1,848 yards and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.^[2]

Professional career

West was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 15th round of the 1961 NFL draft and by the Boston Patriots in the 11th round of the 1961 AFL Draft and opted to sign with the Patriots.^[3] After four games with the Patriots, West was released and was signed by the New York Titans.^[4][5] West scored two touchdowns in the Titans' season finale against the Dallas Texans.^[6] He finished the season with 72 carries for 322 yards and three touchdowns, 13 receptions for 146 yards and 13 kickoffs returned for 306 yards.^[7] West was cut by the Titans three games into the 1962 season following a knee injury.^[8]

Post-football

After the end of his football career West returned to Missouri and graduated with a master's degree in education. He moved to Minnesota and was a principal for Minneapolis Public Schools for 23 years. West died on November 20, 2003, in Burnsville, Minnesota.^[2]

References

1. "Mizzou Camp Glance: Tailback depth in focus". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 29, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
2. Wagaman, Andrew (March 5, 2013). "Missouri football pioneer Mel West never dwelled on past success". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
3. "Patriots Sign Mel West". The New York Times. January 17, 1961. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
4. Teague, Robert L. (October 18, 1961). "Giants Add a 'BB-Gun' to Arsenal". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
5. "KEY JOB ASSIGNED TO WEST OF TITANS". The New York Times. November 10, 1961. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
6. "TEXANS VANQUISH TITANS, 35 TO 24". The New York Times. December 18, 1961. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
7. "Mel West Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
8. Hogrogian, John (1991). "The Last Fall of the Titans" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. 13 (2). Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved June 9, 2020.

External links

• Missouri Tigers Hall of Fame bio