| No. 32 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | (1965-02-02)February 2, 1965 (age 60) Miami, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Miami Northwestern | ||||||||||||
| College: | Miami (FL) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1989: 7th round, 180th pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
As an administrator: | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Melvin Torrence Bratton (born February 2, 1965) is an American former professionalfootball player who was arunning back in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theMiami Hurricanes,blowing out his knee in thenational championship game at the 1988 Orange Bowl againstOklahoma.
Bratton was selected by theMiami Dolphins in 1988 but did not make the team. He reentered the draft the following year and was drafted again in 1989 by theDenver Broncos.[1] Bratton played for the Broncos for two seasons, though never recovered his full athletic ability after the knee injury he suffered in the 1988 Orange Bowl. After his football career, he became asports agent.
Bratton starred in the 1987 national championship game, theOrange Bowl, against theOklahoma Sooners. During the game, he suffered a serious injury to his knee, an injury that may have cost him an estimated one million dollars in theNFL because of the diminution it caused in his draft status. At the end of his career, he held the University of Miami record for career touchdowns with 33.
Bratton was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentaryThe U, which premiered December 12, 2009 onESPN.
Bratton was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the1988 NFL draft,[2] but he never signed a contract with the Dolphins.[3]
In the seventh round of the1989 NFL draft, the Broncos drafted Bratton as the 180th overall pick.[4] He rushed for 190 yards and 4 touchdowns on 57 carries in his brief career. He also added 345 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 39 catches. He also returned 5 kickoffs for total of 56 yards averaging 11.2 yards.[4] He scored the winning touchdown to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional playoff round after which he said, "I'm glad I got it. In the past, every time I score the winning touchdown, we lose."[5] One such game was the infamous 1984Miami vs. Boston College game, where Bratton had four touchdowns including a 52 yard score and the go ahead score, which would have sealed the game for Miami if not for theHail Mary.
InSuper Bowl XXIV, in which the Broncos lost to theSan Francisco 49ers 55–10, Bratton caught one 14-yard pass fromJohn Elway.[6] He retired after the 1990 season.
In 1997, Bratton became ascout for theAtlanta Falcons. Bratton became coordinator of NFC pro personnel with theWashington Redskins in 2000.[7] After Redskins ownerDan Snyder fired him from the front office, Bratton founded sports apparel company College Throwback USA.[8]
Bratton became asports agent after his playing career. Currently, Bratton is employed by Vantage Management Group.[9] In 2008, the NFL began an inquiry into Bratton for contactingAndre Smith, then a college football player forAlabama.[10]
Born inMiami,Florida, Bratton graduated fromMiami Northwestern High School in 1983.[11] Bratton is a cousin ofGeno Smith, Seattle Seahawksquarterback.[12] He married Eugenia Bratton June 11, 2011.