Mel Kaufman

Mel Kaufman

Position(s) Linebacker Jersey #(s) 55
Born	February 24, 1958(1958-02-24) Los Angeles, California
Died	February 7, 2009(2009-02-07) (aged 50) San Luis Obispo, California
Career information
Year(s)	1981–1988
Undrafted in 1981
College	Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo)
Professional teams
Washington Redskins (1981-1988)
Career stats
Sacks	18.5
Interceptions	7
Touchdowns	2
Stats at NFL.com
Career highlights and awards
Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame (1993)

Melvin Kaufman (February 24, 1958 – February 7, 2009) was an American football linebacker in the National Football League who played his entire eight-year career with the Washington Redskins. He played college football at California Polytechnic State University.

Biography

Early life

Kaufman was born in Los Angeles, California and attended Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California, where he earned two varsity letters while playing high school football.^[1]

College career

Kaufman played four seasons of college football at California Polytechnic State University after being redshirted in 1976. In 1978, he recovered a blocked punt against Portland State University. In 1979, he recorded 67 tackles and two interceptions. During Cal Poly's 1980 national championship season, Kaufman returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown against California State University, Northridge.^[1]

Kaufman earned his bachelor’s degree in social science and industrial relations at Cal Poly in 1984.

Professional career

Kaufman was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Washington Redskins in 1981, along with former Cal Poly teammate LeCharls McDaniel, by Redskins general manager Bobby Beathard.^[1] A defensive team leader and team captain with the Redskins from 1981–88, Kaufman was a starting linebacker on three NFC championship teams (1982, 1983 and 1987). He played in three Super Bowls with the Redskins, winning Super Bowl XVII and XXII, and losing Super Bowl XVIII. Kaufman also was a scout for the Redskins in Super Bowl XXVI.^[1]

Kaufman announced his retirement from football on July 5, 1989. He started 78 of 91 games, recorded 18.5 sacks, seven interceptions, and five fumble recoveries.^[1]

Coaching career

After his playing career, Kaufman was a scouting supervisor for the Redskins from 1989 through 1998. He then became a mental health counselor and football, basketball and baseball coach at Masada High School in Gardena, California from 2000–05 and a football official (youth and high school games) in the Pacific Coast Conference in 2006 and 2007.

Kaufman had been out of football at the college and professional levels for about 10 years before he was hired as linebackers coach at Cal Poly in Spring 2007. He helped guide the Mustangs to an 8-3 record, a Great West Conference title and a berth in the 2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs.^[1]

Personal

Kaufman served as an assistant manager at Blue Sky's, a moving and storage company in Los Angeles, in 1998 and 1999. As a volunteer, he was director of the minority internship program and a training camp director for the Redskins, worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington, D.C., served on the board of directors for the Northern Virginia chapter of the American Lung Association as well as the board of advisors for Virginia Commerce Bank. Kaufman was also a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency and the United States military, working with and speaking to children and adults.^[1]

Death

Kaufman died in his Santa Margarita home about three weeks shy of his 51st birthday. An autopsy performed by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office revealed the cause of death as an intra-abdominal hemorrhage due to hemorrhagic pancreatitis.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} "Cal Poly Hall of Famer, Super Bowl Winner Mel Kaufman Dies". Cal Poly Athletic Site. http://www.gopoly.com/index.php?p=sports&id=29891&article_id=65081. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 

External links

• Mel Kaufman Cal Poly Hall of Fame
• Ex-Redskin Mel Kaufman dies at 50 at Sports Illustrated.com
• Kaufman, Linebacker On Super Bowl Teams, Passes Away at Redskins.com

Persondata
Name	Kaufman, Mel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 24, 1958
Place of birth
Date of death	February 7, 2009
Place of death