Leland Devon Melvin (born February 15, 1968) is an American engineer, retired astronaut and former football player who starred as a judge during BattleBots World Championship I and II.
Leland Melvin playing college football.
Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Leland Melvin picked up sports from a young age, enjoying tennis and American football in particular. He graduated from the University of Richmond in 1985 with a degree in chemistry and a scholarship in American football. Six years on, he received a Masters of Science degree in materials science engineering, but it was sport he initially pursued on a professional level.
Following the end of his playing career, Melvin was selected in the 1998 NASA Group. As an astronaut for NASA, he served on the Atlantis space shuttle, assisting in the construction of the International Space Station and serving on two missions: STS-122 in February 2008, and STS-129 in November 2009.
In total, he has spent more than 23 days total in space.
Outside BattleBots[]
Leland Melvin undergoing NASA checks.
As a football player representing his university from 1982 until his graduation, Leland Melvin played as a wide receiver. In April 1986, was chosen as an 11th round pick in that year's NFL Draft. However, he suffered a hamstring injury which stunted his development and in August 1986, he was officially released. Two months on, he was picked up by Canadian Football League side Toronto Argonauts for their practice roster, but this was short-lived as he joined Dallas Cowboys in spring 1987.
A promotional poster for Child Genius, featuring Leland Melvin (center)
After suffering a second injury to his hamstring, Melvin retired from the sport. The Pro Football Hall of Fame later placed his Detroit Lions jersey under for display in Canton, Ohio to honor both his achievements in both football and space exploration.
During astronaut training, Leland Melvin was involved in an underwater accident which almost cost him his hearing. He received special treatment to restore hearing in his right ear, though he is still totally deaf in his left ear to this day. Having participated in two NASA space missions, he was appointed Associate Administrator for Education in October 2010.
Leland Melvin has since featured in numerous other productions for television, often relating to science and technology. He appeared as a guest judge on the seventh season of Top Chef in 2010, before appearing on Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan that same year. He hosted both seasons of Child Genius in 2015 before its cancelation. In May 2020, he hosted the NASA SpaceX demonstration and regularly speaks to classes of students and other audiences about his life experiences.
Trivia[]
- Leland Melvin is the only person to have both played in the NFL and traveled into space.
- His official NASA photo features both of his rescue dogs at either side of him.
See Also[]
- https://www.lelandmelvin.com/
- Leland Melvin on Twitter
- Leland Melvin on Facebook
- Leland Melvin on Instagram