Former Rutgers football players face off against each other in sibling-rivalry NFL matchup
On Sunday, two brothers and former members of the Rutgers football team, Bo and Max Melton, played against each other at Lambeau Field as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 34-13 in a Week 6 matchup.
Bo Melton played for the Scarlet Knights from 2017-2021 as a wide receiver, while Cardinals' Max Melton was a cornerback on the Banks from 2020-2023. Even though just one of their teams could come away with the win, the brothers and their family experienced something they will remember forever.
Bo and Max's parents, Gary Melton Sr. and Vicky Melton, wore customized split jerseys, representing both sons and their team's colors — a green No. 80 jersey for the Packers and a white No. 16 jersey for the Cardinals. They had their hearts on their sleeves the whole afternoon. Vicky Melton was crying before the game, remembering when her sons played football in the backyard. Gary Melton Sr., though emotional, was proud of his sons, remembering when they played together at Rutgers but also at Cedar Creek High School in Mays Landing, New Jersey.
"To see that relationship, even to today, it still brings tears to my eyes," Gary Melton said a few days before kickoff. "I watched them play together. I watched them talk to each other. It's not a surprise to us that Max gravitated towards Bo because they were close in age but also, he wanted to compete with Bo. He knew that was going to make him better and look what happened."
Bo Melton, who was selected as the special teams captain before the matchup, caught one pass for six yards while rushing for 27 yards on two carries. Max Melton totaled four solo tackles. But the pair will not remember what stats they put up on Sunday. They will remember meeting on an NFL field for the first time as professional athletes.
"I was just happy to see him, give him a hug," Bo Melton said. "Just tell him, 'Hey Max, I'm happy for you bro.' Just see him grow to what he's become now, I'm nothing but proud of him. And he's exceeded what I've done — he got drafted second round. That's what I want for him. I want him to be better than me. At the end of the day, seeing him competing definitely helped me with my process, with him, through life."
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