James David Melka (born January 15, 1962) is a former linebacker in the National Football League (NFL).
[1] He attended West Allis Central High School where he was an All-America running back.
[2] Melka played at the collegiate level at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was named to the All-Big Ten team twice.
[2] He was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1985 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but broke his navicular bone in his wrist playing in a pickup basketball game.
[3][4] He was placed on waivers on August 19, 1985,[5] and would later go on to be a member of the Green Bay Packers.