Mellott is ready for his final season

By Pete Mollica

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State senior Brian Mellott is one of those football players that everybody wants on their team.

The former Austintown Fitch High standout is personable, he’s very smart, and he’s an outstanding football player.

Mellott, now a fifth-year senior with the Penguins, is one of several standout offensive linemen returning for the Penguins this season.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pounder has been a regular starter for the Penguins each of the last two seasons and is looking forward to a big year in his final season.

Mellott accepted a scholarship to Ohio University right out of Fitch High and was redshirted his first year. He wasn’t happy at Ohio and transferred to YSU for the 2006 campaign.

He came to the Penguins as a defensive lineman and in his first season played in seven games as a reserve defensive lineman where he had eight tackles, two solos.

In the spring 2007 Mellott was moved to the offensive line and played in all 11 games. He started the first seven games at center and the last two at right guard playing a total of 468 snaps.

Last season he played in all 12 games seeing action at guard, tackle and even tight end.

But all through his career he’s been one of the team’s most vocal leaders both off and on the field. The thing about Mellott is that he usually knows what he’s talking about, and his teammates listen to what he has to say.

For the past two seasons, Mellott has been named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference All-Academic team and carries a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the classroom. He’s a business major.

Mellott, like the rest of the Penguins, was disappointed in last season’s 4-8 record, especially since going into the season, the offensive line was one of the team’s strong points.

“Last season was difficult, mainly because we never really put it together. One week the defense played well and the offense didn’t, and the next it would be reversed,” Mellott said.

“We had a lot of talented players on the line last year, but it seemed as a group we never really came together, and that was disappointing,” he added.

“We moved a lot of guys around last year, and it took time to get acclimated to that, and then we had some guys get dinged up, and we would have to make other changes.

“This year it seems like it’s going to be completely different with [quarterback] Brandon [Summers] back and a year under his belt, and everybody just feels that he’s the guy that’s going to turn this team around this year,” Mellott said.

“We have so many good guys in the backfield this year, and it’s totally amazing, and I just can’t wait to see them in action.

“When you get somebody like Kevin Smith coming back that’s just like getting another top notch recruit this year,” he added.

Mellott said that this year’s offensive line is young, but there is a lot of talent there.

“We’ve got some experience coming back like Eric Rodemoyer at guard and Justin Rechichar at center,” he said. “I’m going to play some guard, but right now there really isn’t a set group of starters mainly because of all the good young players we have coming back.”

Mellott said that he feels he’s in the best shape that he’s ever been in.

“I’m healthy and my leg is as good as its ever been, but I just want to be more of a leader out there, not so much a vocal leader, but by my actions and my efforts,” he added.

But anybody who knows Mellott knows that he’s going to be vocal, and everybody also knows that his teammates are going to be listening to whatever he has to say.

The Penguins return to workouts today at 7 a.m. and will be in full pads. They’ll also practice Thursday and Friday morning before breaking for the Easter weekend.

mollica@vindy.com