View source for Mel Branch

{{Short description|American football player (1937–1992)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Mel Branch
| image         = Mel Branch 1960.jpg
| image_size    =
| alt           = 
| caption       = Branch {{circa}} 1960
| number        = 87, 86
| position      = [[Defensive end]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1937|02|15}}
| birth_place   = [[Leesville, Louisiana]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1992|04|21|1937|02|15}}
| death_place   = [[DeRidder, Louisiana]], U.S.
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 2
| weight_lb     = 230
| high_school   = [[DeRidder High School|DeRidder]] 
| college       = [[LSU Tigers football|LSU]]
| draftyear     = 1960
| draftround    = 10
| draftpick     = 118
| afldraftyear  = 1960
| afldraftround = Second selections
| afldraftpick  = 
| pastteams     =
* [[History of the Kansas City Chiefs#Early years in Dallas|Dallas Texans]] / [[Kansas City Chiefs]] ([[1960 American Football League season|1960]]–[[1965 American Football League season|1965]])
* [[Miami Dolphins]] ([[1966 American Football League season|1966]]–[[1968 American Football League season|1968]])
| highlights    =
* [[American Football League playoffs|AFL champion]] ([[1962 American Football League Championship Game|1962]])
* 2× First-team [[American Football League All-League Team|All-AFL]] ([[1960 All-AFL Team|1960]], [[1962 All-AFL Team|1962]])
* Second-team All-AFL ([[1963 All-AFL Team|1963]])
* 3× [[American Football League All-Star game|AFL All-Star]] (1961–1963)
* [[List of National Football League annual sacks leaders#AFL annual sacks leaders|AFL sacks co-leader]] (1960)
* [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|National champion]] ([[1958 LSU Tigers football team|1958]])
| statleague    = AFL
| statlabel1    = [[Quarterback sack|Sacks]]
| statvalue1    = 57
| statlabel2    = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue2    = 3
| statlabel3    = Games played
| statvalue3    = 126
| statlabel4    = Games started
| statvalue4    = 103
| pfr           = BranMe00 
}}

'''Melvin Leroy Branch''' (February 15, 1937 – April 21, 1992) was an American [[American football|football]] [[defensive end]] who played for the [[History of the Kansas City Chiefs#Early years in Dallas|Dallas Texans]] / [[Kansas City Chiefs]] and the [[Miami Dolphins]] in the [[American Football League]] (AFL).

While playing [[college football]] for the [[LSU Tigers football|LSU Tigers]], he was a member of the "[[Chinese Bandits]]" defense for the [[1958 LSU Tigers football team|1958 national champion team]], and a starter for the Texans in their victory over the [[Houston Oilers]] in the longest professional football game played up to that time, the [[1962 American Football League Championship Game|1962 AFL Championship Game]].

==See also==
*[[List of American Football League players]]

{{1958 LSU Tigers football navbox}}
{{49ers1960DraftPicks}}
{{1960 Dallas Texans}}
{{1962 Dallas Texans}}
{{1966 Miami Dolphins}}
{{AFL annual sacks leaders}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Branch, Mel}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:American football defensive ends]]
[[Category:People from Leesville, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Louisiana]]
[[Category:LSU Tigers football players]]
[[Category:Dallas Texans (AFL) players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Chiefs players]]
[[Category:Miami Dolphins players]]
[[Category:American Football League All-Star players]]
[[Category:American Football League All-League players]]
[[Category:People from DeRidder, Louisiana]]
[[Category:American Football League players]]
{{defensive-lineman-1930s-stub}}