High school coach says this is not too big for small-school star
Tommy Mellott has been here before.
“He did everything for us,” said his Butte (Montana) High school football coach Arie Grey in a telephone interview with Silver and Black Pride. “He drove the bus … He was the quarterback, he was a safety, he played special teams. Everything we asked him to do, he did. If we need a receiver at practice, he’d play receiver. If we needed a running back, he’d do that. He was a driving force for us and was willing to do whatever the team needed him to do. That’s who he is.”
So, Mellott is used to the role he is undertaking as a rookie with the Las Vegas Raiders. Mellott, a star quarterback at small-school Montana State, is looked at as a wide receiver by the Raiders. But he could also be used on special teams and in other gadget roles. The Raiders drafted the 2024 Walter Payton Award winner (FCS version of the Heisman Trophy) to basically be a weapon.
Grey knows the role will not be too big Mellott. It’s his preparation that Gray believes will help him adjust to the league. The transition from Montana State to the NFL won’t be too big for Mellott because the way he works.
“He checks all the boxes, leaves no stones unturned, all of those cliches,” Grey said of Mellott. “His preparation is unbelievable. From his sleep to his nutrition to being in the playbook to his recovery, he works on it all. He’s really special.”
Mellott is the third player from Butte High School (enrollment of about 1,200) to join the NFL . He joins former NFL player Colt Anderson (now a San Francisco 49ers’ assistant special teams coach) and current Pittsburgh Steelers Dylan Cook. Mellott, taken in the sixth round in April, is the first Butte product to be drafted in the NFL.
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Still, Grey said he and his coaching staff never really focused on Mellott becoming an NFL player while he was in high school. That became more of a thought once he starting flourishing at the college level. While in high school, the focus was on just how unique of a player and person Mellott was.
“We knew he’d be a success at whatever he did, but we weren’t really thinking about the NFL,” Grey said. “He was such an amazing young man. He took care of his academics, he was committed to service and he had civic pride with a great work ethic and determination … We always knew he was special and he had a great determination about him. Doubt him and find out what happens .. . So, this isn’t a surprise overall.”
Grey and he city of Butte (population of about 35,000) are ready to watch Mellott this summer as he pushes to make the Raiders’ 53-man roster.
“He is a guy who is getting an opportunity and that’s all he can ask for,” Grey said. “He’s a guy with a lot of tools in his tool box both athletically and in life and that will help him in this journey.”