Career Honors
On Mele: Transfer from Syracuse, who is in his senior year at UMass after playing first two seasons with the Orange ... Saw limited action in first season with Minutemen ... Started with FBS Orange and is expected to be a major impact player at UMass in his final season ... A blue-collar lunch-pail player ... Expected to play SAM or MIKE ... Versatile linebacker with great skills ... Comes from a quality family, brother Joe played at Northeastern ... Coach Morris is very excited to have him join the program ... Was a roommate with fellow transfer Dan Sheeran at Syracuse. As a senior in 2010:Game-By-Game Statistics As a junior in 2009: Played in final three games ... Started vs. Northeastern (11/7) and made 10 tackles ... Recovered a fumble and a half-TFL ... Made one tackle at Hofstra (11/21).
As a sophomore in 2008 (At Syracuse): Started all 12 games for the Orange and was third on the team with 72 total tackles (33 solo) ... Also had a TFL, a pass break-up and a quarterback hurry ... Two games with double-figure tackles including career-high tying 11 against Pittsburgh (9/27) ... Closed season with three tackles at #17 Cincinnati (11/29) ... Four stops in stunning win at Notre Dame (11/22) ... Had four tackles against UConn (11/15) after five-tackle game at Rutgers (11/8) ... Six stops with five solo in win over Louisville (11/1) ... Third-career double-figure tackle game at South Florida (10/18) with 10 stops, seven solo ... Three stops at #23 West Virginia (10/11) ... Career-high 11 tackles vs. Pitt (9/27) ... Posted at least six tackles in first five games of the season with seven against Northeastern (9/20) and Northwestern (8/30) ... Made six stops against #8 Penn State (9/13) and Akron (9/6). As a freshman in 2007 (At Syracuse): Played in 11 games on defense and special teams, including two starts ... One of nine true freshmen to play in 2007 ... Racked up 29 total tackles ... Against #17 Cincinnati (11/24) and at UConn (11/17) had four tackles in each game ... Against South Florida (11/10), had a career-high 10 tackles, including six solo, in his first start ... Had three stops in back-to-back games against Buffalo (10/20) and Rutgers (10/13) ... Opened college career with two tackles against Washington (8/31). Before College: Rated the 50th-best weakside linebacker by Scout.com ... Earned Northeast Regional Team accolades and graded the 14th-best prospect in New Jersey by SuperPrep ... Ranked the No. 27 prospect in New Jersey by Rivals.com ... Earned first-team all-state honors ... All-Group 2 First Team on defense ... Named to the MSG All-Heisman Team ... Played in the 2007 New York/New Jersey Governor's Bowl ... As a senior, recorded 100 tackles for a defense that didn't allow more than one TD in any game ... Led the Shore Conference with 1,974 rushing yards and 30 TDs ... Helped Manasquan to state championship as a junior and senior ... 2006 Asbury Park Press Shore Conference Player of the Year ... High school coach: Vic Kubu ... As a freshman was a shooting guard for the 2003 state champion basketball team ... Elected to the Manasquan High School Hall of Fame. Personal: Michael Jude Mele ... Born November 1988 in Summit, N.J. ... Son of Joe and Patti Mele ... Father played running back at Rutgers from 1973-76, including the undefeated 1976 team ... Three brothers and one sister ... Brother, Joe, played linebacker at Northeastern from 2005-07 and was a captain as a senior ... Majoring in History. Career Statistics (Defense) Year GP/GS UT AT TT Sacks TFL FR PD 2007 SU 11/2 13 16 29 0-0 0.5-1 0 0 2008 SU 12/12 33 39 72 0-0 1-2 0 1 2009 UM 3/1 3 8 11 0-0 0.5-1 1 1 2010 10/10 41 58 99 1-8 2.5-17 1 0 Totals 36/25 90 121 181 1-8 4.5-21 1 1 Career Highs (Defense) Tackles: 13 at Towson (10/2/10), 18 vs. Delaware (11/13/10) TFLs: 2.0 at Michigan (9/18/10) Sacks: 1 at Michigan (9/18/10) 10-Tackle Games: 6 (last at J. Madison 10/30/10) 6 at UM |
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