Pull Up A Chair: Aaron Mellette

By Matthew Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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Elon wide receiver Aaron Mellette was named a first-team All-American last season.

For the latest installment in our “Pull Up A Chair” series, Southern Pigskin writer Matt Osborne talked with Elon All-American Aaron Mellette to see how he intends on adding to his already impressive resume.

What is your favorite movie?

“Iron Man 2 is definitely my favorite movie.”

What is your favorite food?

“Bacon cheese fries.”

Who is your favorite musical artist?

“That’s tough. Definitely it’s a tie between Lil Wayne and Drake.”

If you could invite any three people from any period in history over to your house for dinner, who would they be?

“Michael Jordan, Barack Obama and Skip Bayless.”

Who is your celebrity crush?

“Right now, I’d say Jennifer Aniston. Even though she is a little older, she still looks young and hot to me.”

Do you have any secret talents?

“I’m good with digital media stuff. I play basketball too, but I don’t know if that is much of a secret.”

Elon was recently named the “Most Beautiful College Campus” by 'The Best Colleges' website. Can you talk a little bit about the Elon campus?

“When it was voted most beautiful, I was a little shocked. Once you’ve been here for like three of four years, you probably take the scenery and the aesthetics of the campus for granted, but it’s still a beautiful campus. They are still building stuff now, and I’m interested to see what it will look like when I come back in five years.”

As a wide receiver, what is your favorite route to run?

“The deep post. Not so much of a fly on a straight line, but I have a ‘two-way go’ where I can go over the top or underneath, and that’s by far my favorite route to run.”

A couple of years ago, you were faced with the daunting challenge of trying to replace FCS-record setter Terrell Hudgins in the starting lineup. Was there any pressure associated with trying to replace one of the best wide receivers in FCS history, and what all were you able to learn from him as a receiver?

“I’m not going to lie, I did feel a lot of pressure, especially towards the beginning of the season. We played Richmond, and I knew all eyes were going to be on that game and how the Elon receivers stepped up in the big games. I did feel a lot of pressure, but I had a great game that day and my confidence just rose. What I learned from Terrell was how to keep a high energy level throughout the game. That’s something that is hard to do for any player, but that is something that I learned from him and I want to thank him for that.”

This will be the team’s second season with Coach Swepson and the rest of the new Phoenix coaching staff. Do you think that things will be easier in the second year?

“I wouldn’t say they will be easier as much as I would say that there will be more stability. Guys will know what is going on and the coaches will expect more from us. There will also be new things added to see how we adjust on the fly. Guys shouldn’t be afraid because we have the basics down now and we know what’s going on between each other.”

What aspects of your game do you feel like you need to work on in order to improve your draft stock for next year’s NFL Draft?

“Overall strength, run blocking, route-running and flexibility. That’s a big part of a lot of NFL guys’ make up is how flexible they are. Also, I just need to work on perfecting other aspects of the game, such as route-running and getting out of cuts and things like that.”

In your opinion, where is toughest place to play in the Southern Conference?

“I think Georgia Southern. That’s the most hostile crowd environment I have ever been in. I love it though. There’s nothing like fans screaming at you the whole game and talking junk to you. It motivates me even more to play even harder and have those game-changing plays where the crowd goes silent.”

You were a second-team All-American as a sophomore and a first-team All-American last season. How can you take your game to the next level this fall?

“By making sure my teammates are ready to go as well. It’s no longer about me. The coaches know what I can do, but it’s about helping my other teammates progress throughout the season and helping them understand the game. I have to have other guys around me to make me better.”

Overall, what are the goals for your senior season?

“For the team, I want a winning season and the playoffs. If we win the conference title that would be great, but we need seven or eight wins to solidify a playoff berth, and that’s where my mind is at right now. Individually, I want to have a similar type of season. I obviously wouldn’t mind being named a first-team All-American again. Winning the conference Player of the Year would be pretty cool to add to the resume as well. Even bringing home the Walter Payton Award would be great for me too.”