Mel Bleeker

Melvin Wallace Bleeker (August 20, 1920 – April 24, 1996) was an American professional football player who played halfback for four seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams.

Early life Bleeker was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and was Jewish. He attended John C. Fremont High School. In 1938, playing football for Fremont, he was named All-Southern California High School Football First-team, and All-Southern California High School Track and Field Honor Roll.

College He then attended the University of Southern California. For USC, he competed for the Trojans in both football from 1940 to 1942, as quarterback, halfback, and fullback, and for the track team in the broad jump, for whom he won the Conference championship in 1941 and took second place in the 1942 NCAA Track and Field Championships (23-11½). He also served in the United States Army.

In 2014 he was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.