Mel Agee
{{Short description|American football player (1968–2008)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Mel Agee
| number = 90, 68, 92, 75
| position = Defensive end
Defensive tackle
| birth_date = {{birth date|1968|11|22|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|6|15|1968|11|22|mf=y}}
| death_place = Lawrenceville, Georgia, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lb = 300
| high_school = Washington (IL)
| college = Illinois (1987-1990)
| draftyear = 1991
| draftround = 6
| draftpick = 152
| pastteams =
- Indianapolis Colts ({{NFL year|1991|1992}})
- Atlanta Falcons (1992–{{NFL year|1995}})
- Miami Dolphins ({{NFL year|1996}})*
- Frankfurt Galaxy ({{FRA season|1998}})
- Tampa Bay Storm ({{AFL Year|1998|2002}})
| highlights =
- 2× First-team All-Big Ten (1989, 1990)
- Second-team All-Big Ten (1988)
| statlabel1 = Tackles
| statvalue1 = 111
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 2.5
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 = 2
| aflstatlabel1 = Tackles
| aflstatvalue1 = 25
| aflstatlabel2 = Sacks
| aflstatvalue2 = 0.5
| pfr = AgeeMe20
| afl = Mel_Agee
}}
Melvin Laverne Agee Jr. (November 22, 1968 – June 15, 2008) was an American professional football player who played defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL), NFL Europe, and the Arena Football League (AFL). In his 10-year career he played for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts (1991–1992) and Atlanta Falcons (1992–1995), NFL Europe's Frankfurt Galaxy (1998), and the AFL's Tampa Bay Storm (1998–2002). Agee played college football at the University of Illinois.
Early life
Mel Agee was born on November 22, 1968, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended George Washington High School in Chicago, where he played football and basketball.
College career
Agee played defensive tackle at the University of Illinois from 1987 through 1990. In 1988, was selected to the All-Big Ten Conference Second-Team. In 1989, Agee was selected to the All-Big Ten Conference First-Team. The 1989 season was the Fighting Illini's best with Agee. The team went 10–2, finishing the season ranked #10 in the AP poll after defeating Virginia in the 1990 Citrus Bowl.{{cite web |title=1989 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/illinois/1989.html |website=Sports Reference CFB |access-date=May 5, 2024}} In the 1990 season, he repeated on the All-Big Ten Conference First-Team and earned an All-America honorable mention. Despite the team going 8–4, Illinois shared a Big Ten Conference title with three other teams.{{cite web |title=1990 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/illinois/1990.html |website=Sports Reference CFB |access-date=May 5, 2024}}
As of 2024, Agee is ranked seventh all-time in Illinois history with 15 sacks during his college career.{{cite news |last1=Thorstenson |first1=Todd |title=Illinois Football: The Top 10 Defensive Players of the Past 25 Years |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/894333-illinois-football-the-top-10-defensive-players-of-the-past-25-years |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=Bleacher Report |date=October 21, 2011}}
Former NFL agent Josh Luchs alleged in the October 2010 issue of Sports Illustrated that he paid Agee 'several hundred dollars' while he was still a defensive lineman at Illinois in 1990.{{cite news |title=Report: Agent admits paying college players |url=https://www.staugustine.com/story/sports/2010/10/13/report-agent-admits-paying-college-players/16221016007/ |access-date=May 4, 2024 |work=The St. Augustine Record |agency=Associated Press |date=October 13, 2010}}
Professional career
At the 1991 NFL draft, Agee was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round with the 152nd overall selection.{{Cite web |title=1991 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1991/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} Agee was reunited with former Illinois teammate Jeff George, who had been selected by the Colts first overall in the previous year's draft.
=Indianapolis Colts (1991–1992)=
As a rookie, Agee appeared in all 16 games with the Colts, earning two starts. He finished the 1991 season with 29 combined tackles and one forced fumble.{{cite web |title=Mel Agee |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AgeeMe20.htm |website=Pro Football Reference |access-date=May 5, 2024}} Agee's forced fumble came in week four against the Detroit Lions when he was able to knock the ball loose from Barry Sanders where it was recovered by Colts linebacker Jeff Herrod.{{cite news |last1=Swanson |first1=Pete |title=Colts miss 2 kicks, then get kicked by Lions |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/princeton-daily-clarion-colts-miss-2-kic/146644163/ |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=Princeton Daily Clarion |via=Newspapers.com |date=September 23, 1991}} The Colts finished the season at 1–15, having fired head coach Ron Meyer after week five and replacing him with interim head coach Rick Venturi.{{cite web |title=1991 Indianapolis Colts Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/1991/gamelog/ |website=Pro Football Reference |access-date=May 5, 2024}}
In 1992, Agee appeared in the first game of the season for the Colts before he was released by the team on September 11, 1992.{{cite news |title=Colts Notebook |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-colts-notebook/146644327/ |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=The Indianapolis News |via=Newspapers.com |date=September 12, 1992}}
=Atlanta Falcons (1992–1995)=
Agee signed with the Atlanta Falcons on December 22, 1992.{{cite news |title=Agee signs on with the Atlanta Falcons |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-herald-agee-signs-on-with-the/146644488/ |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=The Times-Herald |agency=Associated Press |via=Newspapers.com |date=December 26, 1992}} Agee was not activated for the Falcons final game of the 1992 season.
In 1993, Agee appeared in 11 games with seven starts as a defensive end. He recorded 43 combined tackles with 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
In the 1994 season, Agee was moved back to defensive tackle. He appeared in all 16 games with six starts. He recorded 32 combined tackles (24 solo, 8 assisted) on the season.
In 1995, Agee's final year with the Falcons, he appeared in 10 games and recorded seven tackles. The Falcons made it to the NFC playoffs, losing to the Green Bay Packers in the Wildcard round. Agee left Atlanta as an unrestricted free agent after the 1995 season.
=Miami Dolphins (1996)=
Agee was signed by the Miami Dolphins on July 27, 1996.{{cite news |last1=Cole |first1=Jason |title=Dolphins look sloppy and lose scrimmage |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-dolphins-look-slopp/146645143/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=The Orlando Sentinel |date=July 28, 1996}} He was released by the Dolphins on August 25, 1996, prior to the start of the regular season.{{cite news |title=Dolphins have new look with J.J. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tampa-bay-times-dolphins-have-new-look-w/146645239/ |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=Tampa Bay Times |agency=Associated Press |via=Newspapers.com |date=August 26, 1996}}
=Frankfurt Galaxy (1998)=
In 1998, Agee was drafted by the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe. He played in one season with Frankfurt, who won the NFL Europe regular season before losing to the Rhein Fire in World Bowl '98.
=Tampa Bay Storm (1998–2002)=
Agee joined the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League in 1998, where he played offensive line and defensive line.{{cite news |last1=Ginn |first1=Sharon |title=Agee rises out of the pits |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/07/17/agee-rises-out-of-the-pits/ |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=July 17, 1998}} In five seasons with the Storm, Agee recorded eight receptions for 51 yards and five touchdowns on offense. On defense, he had 25 tackles with seven passes defended and one-half sack.{{cite web |title=Mel Agee |url=https://www.arenafan.com/players/Mel_Agee-14/ |website=ArenaFan - Arena Football League Stats |access-date=May 5, 2024}}
Personal life and death
Agee held a bachelor's degree in mathematics. After leaving the NFL, Agee was living in the Atlanta, Georgia area where he worked as a sandblaster at a train manufacturing company.
Agee died of an apparent heart attack at his Lawrenceville, Georgia home on June 15, 2008, at age 39.{{cite web |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/jun/17/sports/chi-17-agee-illinois-obitjun17 |title=Illinois product Mel Agee dead at 39 |author=Terry Bannon |date=June 17, 2008 |work=Chicago Tribune |publisher= |accessdate=December 15, 2009}}{{cite web | title=Former Illini lineman Mel Agee dead at 39 | website=The State Journal-Register | date=2008-06-18 | url=https://www.sj-r.com/story/sports/college/fighting-illini/2008/06/18/former-illini-lineman-mel-agee/43165585007/ | access-date=2024-12-05}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Footballstats |nfl=mel-agee |espn=7006 |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=A/AgeeMe20 |rotoworld= }}
- {{Find a Grave|27667896}}
{{Indianapolis Colts 1991 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agee, Mel}}
Category:Players of American football from Chicago
Category:American football defensive ends
Category:American football defensive tackles
Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football players
Category:Indianapolis Colts players
Category:Atlanta Falcons players
Category:Frankfurt Galaxy players