Mel Bratton

Mel Bratton

No. 32
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1965-02-02) February 2, 1965
Place of birth:	Miami, Florida
Career information
High school:	Miami (FL) Northwestern
College:	Miami (Florida)
NFL draft:	1989 / Round: 7 / Pick: 180
Career history
Denver Broncos (1989–1990)
As administrator:
Atlanta Falcons (scout) (1997–1999) Washington Redskins (director of pro personnel) (2000)
Career highlights and awards
AFC champion (1989) Consensus National Champion, NCAA Football (1987)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 1990
Games played/Games started: 32-6 Rushing attempts/Rushing yards: 57-190 Rushing touchdowns: 4 Receptions/Receiving yards: 39-345 Receiving touchdowns: 4
Player stats at PFR

Melvin Torrance Bratton (born February 2, 1965) is a former American football running back and current sports agent. Bratton attended the University of Miami, where he played running back and starred in the national championship game at the 1988 Orange Bowl against Oklahoma, where he blew out his knee.

He was subsequently drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1988, yet did not make the team and was drafted again in 1989 by the Denver Broncos and played for two seasons though never really recovering from his knee injury.

College

Bratton starred in the 1987 national championship game, the Orange Bowl, against the Oklahoma Sooners. However, he blew out his knee, an injury that may have cost him an estimated one million dollars in the NFL. At the end of his career, he held the Hurricanes' record for career touchdowns with 33.

Bratton was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U, which premiered December 12, 2009 on ESPN.

NFL career

Bratton was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the 1988 NFL Draft but never signed a contract with the Dolphins.

In the seventh round of the 1989 NFL Draft, the Broncos drafted Bratton as the 180th overall pick. 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. 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." At Super Bowl XXIV, in which the Broncos lost to the San Francisco 49ers 55-10, Bratton caught one 14-yard pass from John Elway. He retired after the 1990 season, never really regaining his full abilities to run the ball from his knee injury in 1988 Orange Bowl.

Later career

In 1997, Bratton became a scout for the Atlanta Falcons. Bratton became coordinator of NFC pro personnel with the Washington Redskins in 2000. After Redskins owner Dan Snyder fired him from the front office, Bratton founded sports apparel company College Throwback USA.

Bratton became a sports agent after his playing career. Currently, Bratton is part of Vantage Management Group. In 2008, the NFL began an inquiry into Bratton for contacting Andre Smith, then a college football player for Alabama.

Personal life

Born in Miami, Florida, Bratton graduated from Miami Northwestern High School in 1983. Bratton is a cousin of Geno Smith, starting quarterback for the New York Jets.Married to Eugenia Bratton June 11, 2011

References

Preceded by Alonzo Highsmith/Daryl Oliver

Miami Hurricanes' Starting Running Back 1985-1987 (shared with Alonzo Highsmith and Warren Williams)

Succeeded by Cleveland Gary/Leonard Conley