Henry Melton isn’t afraid to cause a disruption, whether it be in an opponents’ backfield or in the conventional wisdom that a player can’t make the jump from one side of the ball to the other.
You could make a case that the fourth-year defensive tackle is the most underrated player on the Chicago Bears’ defense, an astounding statement if one considers that he didn’t even come to the University of Texas as a defensive player.
The Grapevine, Texas native punished…[s2If current_user_is(s2member_level2)] would-be tacklers his freshman year, rushing for 10 touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 2005 championship season. At 6-3 and 270 pounds, Melton smashed opponents while fellow back Jamaal Charles stunned them with his swiftness. He also had some moves for a big back.
An offensive player making a switch to a similar skill position on that side of the ball isn’t a rarity, but Melton decided to make the switch to defense. Will Muschamp, defensive coordinator at the time, and the Texas defensive coaches worked with Melton, teaching him the basics of the three-technique. Melton picked up enough to gain a starting spot his senior year and racked up 10 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. He also caught the eye of the Chicago Bears, who chose him with the 105th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
As it turns out, Chicago’s opportunistic and pressure heavy 4-3 defense turned out to be the perfect place for Melton to sharpen his claws. He has held his own among some of the greatest defensive names in the NFL and finished the 2011 season with seven sacks (best in the NFC among defensive tackles), not a bad mark since he split snaps with Amobi Okoye.
Anybody who assumed the breakout season in 2011 would be the peak for Melton was mistaken, as he already has 4 sacks in four games this season, including two in the season opener against Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck. His blow-up of Tony Romo on Monday Night Football last night got constant replay on highlight reels this week, so he’s also got that going for him.
Only in his fourth year, Melton may technically be a cub but it’s clear that he belongs with the veteran sleuth of Bears. And as free agency nears for the lifetime Longhorn in 2013, there is no question that the man is going to get paid. What isn’t quite as certain, though we hope to see it, is whether Melton will get a chance to get a few carries in for Chicago. He did, after all, do some work as a goal-line back in OTA’s this season. If so, Melton may become William “Refrigerator” Perry 2.0, as some will recall the robust defensive lineman who burst into the end zone in the Bears’ Super Bowl XX win.
Melton could become a household name with signature play like that, but the truth is that he doesn’t really need it. Melton is already on his way to becoming one of the best defenders in the NFL by using his assortment of skills. All opposing quarterbacks can do is grin and bear it.
Adam Sweeney is a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated and also Editor-in-Chief of Playmaker Magazine. You can follow him and talk everything Texas on Twitter at @1AdamSweeney.
The Next Level is Horns Illustrated’s feature of a Texas Longhorn player in the NFL.
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