Daniel Lee Melville was born on March 4, 1956, in San Diego, California.
[1] He attended El Capitan High School in Lakeside, California.
[1] He punted 44 times for 1,863 yards (42.3 average) his junior year in 1977, earning Coaches second-team All-Pac-10 honors.
[2][3] As a senior in 1978, he punted 57 times for 2,370 yards (41.6 average), garnering Coaches second-team All-Pac-10 recognition for the second consecutive season.
[2][4] After going undrafted in the 1979 NFL draft, Melville signed with the San Francisco 49ers on May 11.