James Anthony Mello was an American football player.
20 Facts About Jim Mello
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Jim Mello won two national championships at the University of Notre Dame and went on to play professionally between 1947 and 1950 as a member of the Boston Yanks, Chicago Rockets, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, and Paterson Panthers.
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Jim Mello was born on November 8,1920, in River Point, Rhode Island, one of thirteen children born to Portuguese immigrants Frank and Anna Mello.
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Jim Mello graduated from West Warwick High School in Rhode Island and attended LaSalle Military Academy.
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Jim Mello did not see any action on the gridiron in 1941 under first-year coach Frank Leahy.
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The 1942 season saw Jim Mello splitting time at the fullback position with teammates Corwin Clatt and Gerry Cowhig.
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Jim Mello finished the season with one touchdown and won his first monogram at Notre Dame.
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In 1945, Jim Mello was drafted by the Boston Yanks in the 6th round of the 1945 NFL draft.
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Now almost 26 years old, married, and the father of a young son, Jim Mello returned to a team with significant depth in the backfield.
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At the season's end, Jim Mello was Notre Dame's top scorer - with 6 touchdowns and 307 rushing yards on 61 carries - and the Associated Press again named the undefeated Notre Dame squad national champions.
11.
Jim Mello played for the Boston Yanks, who had drafted him previously, in 1947.
12.
Jim Mello appeared in nine games in his first year, starting four.
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Jim Mello played for two teams in 1948, the Chicago Rockets, of the All-America Football Conference, and the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League.
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Jim Mello finished the season with 57 rush attempts for 246 yards.
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Jim Mello played for the Rockets again in 1949, playing one game before joining the Detroit Lions.
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Jim Mello was a two-way player at the time, making three interceptions for 61 yards on defense.
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In 1950, Jim Mello played five games in the AFL with the Paterson Panthers.
18.
Jim Mello married his wife, Winifred Jacqueline "Jacquie" Mello, in 1944, while he was a student at Notre Dame.
19.
Jim Mello was a prominent figure in the early days of the Special Olympics and was a long-time organizer of the Connecticut Special Olympics.
20.
Jim Mello is buried in St Joseph's Cemetery in South Bend, Indiana.