Leland D. Melvin
An astronaut who caught passes in the NFL, he now uses his unique story to inspire students in science from the football field to the stars.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American engineer and former astronaut·Birthday: February 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Leland Melvin's path to space was anything but straight. A gifted athlete, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the NFL as a wide receiver, though hamstring injuries curtailed his professional football career. Turning to his other passion, engineering, he joined NASA as a materials researcher. Selected as an astronaut in 1998, he flew on two Space Shuttle missions to help construct the International Space Station, performing spacewalks and operating the station's robotic arm. But his most enduring impact may have come after his flights. As NASA's Associate Administrator for Education, he traveled to schools across America, often wearing his blue flight suit, using his personal narrative—from the gridiron to the galaxy—to make STEM fields tangible and exciting for countless young people. Melvin embodies the idea that curiosity and resilience can take you to unexpected places, and he has dedicated his life to passing that lesson on.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Leland was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Leland Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Leland's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Flew on two Space Shuttle missions (STS-122 and STS-129) as a mission specialist, helping to build the International Space Station.
- Served as NASA's Associate Administrator for Education, overseeing the agency's national educational programs.
- Was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 11th round of the 1986 NFL Draft.
- Co-chaired the White House's Federal Coordination in STEM Education Task Force.
Did You Know?
He is the only person drafted into the NFL to have flown in space.
His official NASA astronaut portrait features his two dogs, Jake and Scout.
He co-hosted the television series 'Child Genius' and competed on 'The Apprentice'.
He temporarily lost his sense of smell after a laboratory accident early in his NASA career.
“You can go from catching a football to catching a satellite in space.”
