| No. 37 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Fullback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1943-01-30)January 30, 1943 (age 82) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Roger Bacon High School,Cincinnati, Ohio |
| College | Michigan (1962–1964) |
| Career history | |
| 1965 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1966 | Montreal Beavers |
| 1967 | Ypsilanti Vikings |
| Awards and highlights | |
Mel Anthony (born January 30, 1943) is an American formerfootball running back. He played football for theUniversity of Michigan from 1962 to 1964 and was named theMost Valuable Player of the1965 Rose Bowl after setting aRose Bowl record with an 84-yardtouchdown run. He played in theCanadian Football League (CFL) in 1965 for theHamilton Tiger-Cats, in 1966 for theMontreal Beavers of theContinental Football League (COFL), and in theMidwest Football League in 1967 for theYpsilanti Vikings.
Anthony attendedRoger Bacon High School inCincinnati, Ohio. He played on offense at thefullback position and on defense as alinebacker for Roger Bacon's football team. In December 1960, he was selected by theUPI as a first-team All-Ohio defensive player at linebacker.[1]
In 1961, Anthony enrolled at the University of Michigan. He played at thefullback position forBump Elliott'sMichigan Wolverines football team from 1962 to 1964. He was Michigan's lead rusher in 1963 and 1964.[2] In two games againstIowa in 1963 and 1964, Anthony scored six touchdowns (three each in 1963 and 1964) andrushed for 204 yards (83 in 1963 and 121 yards in 1964).[3][4] He also rushed for 84 yards on 15 carries (5.6 yards per carry) against the1963 Ohio State Buckeyes football team. As a senior, Anthony was one of the leaders of the1964 Michigan Wolverines football team that won theBig Ten Conference championship and defeatedOregon State in the1965 Rose Bowl. The 1965 Rose Bowl was Anthony's final game for Michigan, and Anthony was named the game'sMost Valuable Player after he rushed for a career-high 123 yards, scored three touchdowns, and averaged 9.5 yards per carry.[5] He also set aRose Bowl Game record with an 84-yard touchdown run, surpassing the prior record set by Iowa'sBob Jeter in the1959 Rose Bowl.[6][7] Following the game, theLong Beach Press Telegram wrote:
"Anthony, senior fullback who has been playing in the shadow of Michigan's toutedBob Timberlake, barreled his way into the record books with three touchdowns. His 84-yard dash (it actually was 841⁄2, the play starting on the 151⁄2 yard line) was the longest run in Rose Bowl history . . . while his 18 points tied the Bowl scoring record established 40 years ago byElmer Layden ... Anthony also recovered the punt that was blocked by tackle Bob Mielke in the third period, grabbing It on the Oregon State 15 — and later going in for the touchdown from a yard out. His other score came on a seven yard run. Although Elliott said he 'probably could name 22 players who could have been voted player of the game,' it was only natural that Anthony received the honor."[8]
Anthony was selected by theCleveland Browns in the 16th round (223rd overall selection) of the1965 NFL draft. He signed with the Browns in early July 1965,[2] but he was cut in late August, shortly before the start of the regular season.[9] After being cut by the Browns, Anthony opted instead to play in theCanadian Football League. He was initially signed by theEdmonton Eskimos,[10] but he was also cut by the Eskimos.[11] He finally signed with theHamilton Tiger-Cats and helped lead the team to the1965 Grey Cup championship.[12] Anthony was cut by the Tiger-Cats in August 1966 and signed with theMontreal Beavers.[13] He played for theYpsilanti Vikings of theMidwest Football League in 1967.[14]