Certainly, to be ranked with the all-time greats of Medford High Athletics is the legendary Al Melvin. Time has not dimmed the memory of this fine athlete.

1928 was his greatest year when he was chosen All-State in both football and basketball. Playing with an inspired gridiron team, Melvin was a strong factor by helping the team score 324 points to the 40 of the opponents. It was another 9 – 0 season for the Tigers. That was the year that the Tigers defeated Benson Tech of Portland by a score of 39 – O for the Mythical State Championship.

In 1932 a group of Medford football experts and newspaper writers, known as the “Big 10”, selected a Medford High All-Time All-Star football team, going back to the year 1913. Al Melvin received unanimous selection at quarterback on this team. A newspaper quote stated: “None of the Big 10 recalled any signal caller of past years who could parallel the matchless generalship and broken field running to Melvin.

Al Melvin’s brilliant athletic career was cut short when he died from a broken neck, suffered while high jumping during his freshman year at college.