OSU linebacker Mitchell Melton breaks down film with the same excitement as game film

Ohio State senior Mitchell Melton is finally healthy after knee injuries cost him the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

And now that he's available, he's making an impact, recording his first college sack in the second quarter of a Week 3 win over Western Kentucky. The Buckeyes can deploy Melton at the hybrid "Jack" position, utilizing Melton's background as both a linebacker and defensive lineman, and they hope that, by doing so, he duplicates his success at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he recorded a school-record 20 sacks his senior season.

Read on to learn more about the communications major and future Steven Spielberg.

Get to know Ohio State linebacker Mitchell Melton

When was the last time you sang out loud?

The last time I sang out loud? Probably on the way to practice today. I was listening to a Steve Lacy song. "Sunshine." Great song. Me and Enokk (Vimahi) bonded over that song, actually. Yeah, so I was full volume, screaming as loud as I could. I think that was the last time I sang out loud.

So other than when you're rocking out with Enokk, when do you tend to sing?

When I hear good music.

Do you do karaoke?

No. I haven't had a chance to. But a lot of my friends actually have offered or said they wanted to do it. I'm open to it, but I just haven't found the chance or opportunity.

Now, are you a good singer?

Ah, that's very subjective. I did choir, like, sophomore year of high school. So I mean, I don't know. I was all right. I was in a crowd of people, so maybe. But I think I can carry a tune. I just hope I'm not tone deaf.

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Other than singing, what are you good at? Do you have a hidden talent, maybe?

My hidden talent? And it's not sports-related? I think I'm good at reading people. Yeah, I can analyze people's behaviors off a couple instances – I think get used to people and how they interact, and from there, act accordingly. I think that's probably one of my hidden talents. I'm a people person.

You were tempted to give a sports-related answer, though. What was it?

I don't know if it's hidden, and some of my teammates may disagree, but I think my basketball talent is not very well known, but ... I think I could compete with a lot of guys on the team and a lot of guys on the basketball team.

Where's your happy place?

My happy place? Great question. You've got some good questions. I'd say the river, the Scioto Mile. Yeah, like I go to the bridge sometimes, get some music, and I just vibe. Sit down, take some deep breaths, and that's where I get calm. I think I've done that a lot in my four years here.

Have you ever seen the sunrise there?

Yes. Sunsets and sunrises both. Amazing. And I think that's what so underrated about Ohio and Columbus is the sunsets are beautiful here. ... But, yeah, it's definitely my quiet, happy place where I go to just breathe, have a vibe, be zen, all the things.

What is the biggest difference between Columbus and where you grew up in Maryland?

I am so far from moving from Maryland, I can't even really pinpoint certain things, but I would say the people and definitely the traffic. There was a lot of traffic in Maryland, and it was, like, always unnecessary. Like, there wasn't an accident or a reason for it, it was just traffic, and I would be very vexed by it. But I think Ohio is more calm, and the people here are more personable and nice, which I appreciate, but it was definitely a culture shock because interacting with strangers was such a different thing in Maryland than it is here because I had my guard up a lot back home. But here everyone here is nice and caring and looking out and stuff. It's very interesting.

You talked about being zen. You like that Columbus people are calm. Peace is something you really seem to value.

Yeah.

What is something that you do that brings you a lot of peace?

Watching movies, I'd say. Watching a new movie or watching an old movie that creates some emotional turmoil in me I think is something that creates peace in my life. ... Here's the other thing: When I get to take a movie that I've seen, I get to introduce it to my friends? That is a top five moment in my life. Like recently, a year ago, I introduced my friends to the movie called, "Everything Everywhere All at Once." Beautiful movie.

The rock scene?

Mmmm. The rock scene. The entire scene. Every scene. But it was a beautiful moment because all of my friends, there were like seven of us, and we were all locked into this TV screen. It was one of the best times we've had, and after the movie we had a debrief about the whole thing, and people were taking deep breaths, because like, 'Wow!' It was a very emotional moment, and it brought me so much happiness just to bring that into their lives. Especially in this environment where it's football, football, football, to have that time to just watch a beautiful movie about everything and all the things that you feel and everything, everywhere all at once, it was just a great moment.

It's so true. When you recommend a movie, you become emotionally invested in...

I am watching them and I am also watching the movie. I'm watching the movie to see if they're also interested in the movie. It's a whole thing.

So they enjoyed it then?

Yeah. They loved it. They loved it. They're now listing it in their top five, and they now thank me for that. And I'm like, 'Yes, you're welcome. Of course. I'll do it again. I'll do it again.'

What other movies do you recommend?

Oh, my god. I'm a movie guy. I love this. I'd say "Ocean's Eleven," that entire trilogy is really good.

Did you ever watch the original?

With Frank Sinatra? I haven't seen that. My dad did. But I watched the George Clooney ones, and that's my original because my age and everything.

Probably the Spiderverse movies. ... What else? I was going to say "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," but that's a very provocative and a very jarring movie. But you've got to watch it one time because it's very well done.

If you could have a career in movies, would you want to be a director or actor?

That's the dream. I'd be a director. I don't think I have the talent or whatever to be an actor. But I'd love to direct. I've always told people I'd love to create something that (puts) someone on the verge of crying happy or sad tears. That would be a beautiful moment. That's the thing I love about movies, you can sit down and watch a movie, and that movie can literally change your emotional state. I'd love to have that power ... That would be a dream.

Have you written a script, even if just in your head?

I have scenes. I don't have a complete movie, but I definitely have little scenes in my head that I think are new and no one has ever seen before, so I would love to see them on the screen.

So that's the dream. What's the plan?

I'm going to graduate with a degree in communications this December, but I am looking to go back to get an undergrad in film. And then from there, I don't even know what it looks like, but I'll just figure out along the way the steps that are needed to pursue a career in film.

We've talked about music and movies, do you just have a passion for the arts in general?

I'm trying to get into paintings. I like to find what I am outside of the field.

I can tell. I like that about you.

And I like that about myself because I feel that makes me more grounded as a person. ... But, yeah, I think the big ones are music and movies for me. But I remember the first time I saw "Ferris Bueller," and they were in the art museum, and they were just staring at the George Seurat painting, and I just want to have that moment. I would love to go to an art museum and just sit down and absorb, see the beauty in front of me and make my own interpretations of it, and from there, feel better from it and live my life accordingly.

Do you know what an elevator pitch is?

I'm not sure.

The idea is that you're stuck in an elevator with someone who has the power to hire you, so you have about 30 seconds, what do you tell them?

Oh, OK.

What would your elevator speech be if the job you were auditioning for was most interesting man in the world?

I'd be like, 'Look, after people are dead and gone, the thing that (remains) is how they made people feel. And that is the biggest thing I look forward to doing every day that I am on this earth. And I think you can't truly ask me how good I am or how interesting I am of a person. You have to ask those around me. So I will give you a set of numbers, a set of people you can call, and you can get anything you need from them. I think they will speak for me more than I could and better than I ever could.'

That's all I got.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Get to know Ohio State football linebacker Mitchell Melton