Lynn’s Jim Mello, now of North Andover, graduated St. Mary’s in 1975 and thought, “When you graduate, you want to stay in sports. How do I do that?”
Well, the three-sport athlete (football, basketball, baseball) who lived on Henry Avenue made the most of that dream. Mello just retired from his career as an NFL official, a journey of more than 300 games.
“It’s one of the greatest brotherhoods you could ever make,” he said. “You had to do it because you loved it – and I loved it.”
Mello officiated two Super Bowls – one being New Orleans vs. Indianapolis in 2010 – and was head linesman in 2014’s showdown between Denver and Seattle.
“My wife, Mary, used to tell me, ‘You look so calm,’” Mello said. “Once kickoff happens, you officiate it like any other game.”
Although, compared to 12-minute halftimes in the regular season – “You try to go to the bathroom quick and, maybe, grab a bite of a protein bar” – halftime shows at the Super Bowl were a little different.
“What are you going to do with all this time?” said Mello, who watched The Who and Bruno Mars.
On top of working a few of America’s biggest games, he “did so many things outside of football that I never would’ve gotten a chance to do.”
Mello received private tours of the U.S. Capitol, NASA, and The Pentagon, among other activities. He also officiated two NFL games in London.
“It was just absolutely fabulous – the things we got to do,” Mello said. “I played some of the finest golf courses in the country, and I had no right to be on those courses. I was a kid who grew up and learned at Gannon Golf Course in Lynn.”
Speaking of his childhood, it wasn’t always football-focused.
“Baseball was really my sport. I played professionally (Detroit Tigers and in Italy) and at Northeastern, but I loved football, too,” Mello said.
So, he got involved – and then some.
“I would work a Friday afternoon high school game, a Friday night high school game, and a Saturday college game,” Mello said. “And I did touch leagues.”
He eventually reached the NFL, but it’s not like it got easier.
“It’s mentally and physically draining,” Mello said. “We used to go to one training camp, but now we go to three.”
But his passion was withstanding.
“You’re a part of the game,” he said. “It was exciting.”
When asked about the profession’s challenges, Mello pointed to “a million cameras” and staying in shape, but the latter wasn’t necessarily a problem.
“Working out was always a part of my daily routine,” said Mello, who ran 10 Boston Marathons. “I used to swim a half-mile before work and I’d run at lunchtime. I’m training for the fourth quarter of a game. If you’re physically tired, it’s going to affect your mental ability to concentrate and focus, so I always felt that I needed to be in the best of shape.”
Despite the several pictures of Mello alongside screaming coaches, it wasn’t a part of the job he disliked.
“I enjoyed that part of the job – the banter with the coaches,” he said. “As you get experience and become a veteran, the coaches look at you and start to gain respect.”
And just because he’s done being on national television, doesn’t mean officiating won’t be on his mind.
“I’ve always thought that it’s important to give back because so many people helped me get to where I am,” Mello said. “I’ll go talk to the high school group and try to recruit officials.”
Retirement “won’t hit me until May or June” when a typical season normally ramps up.
“And when football comes on the screen, then I’ll feel like I’m retired – I think,” Mello said.
His final regular season game was played on January 7 between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, followed by a playoff cherry on top between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
“I never counted. It was never important to me,” Mello said. “I just tried to enjoy it as I went along, and I had so much enjoyment.”
QUICK CALLS
- Mello once worked 45 weekends in one year, and went four years without a vacation.
- His first and last regular season games were between the Giants and Eagles – the first a coaching matchup between Andy Reid’s Eagles and Tom Coughlin’s Giants.
- One of his favorite memories was an NFC Championship between Green Bay and the Giants in 2007. It was Brett Favre’s final game as a Packer and “one of the coldest games in NFL history. I couldn’t even talk and my lips were frozen.”
- Offseasons were short, as Mello was busy with rule study, preseason tests, and physicals.
- According to Mello, good coaches don’t waste time arguing about something that’s already happened – they focus on the next play.
- He still spends time (and plays golf) in Lynn: “My Lynn roots are very important to me.”
- Mello hopes to check out the atmosphere of a college football game during his retirement.
- He admired the mental toughness of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Patrick Mahomes.
- It was “emotional” to have his wife, Mary, and children (Michaela, MacKenzie and Madison) on the field with him after his final game.
