Kiper at the 2009 NFL Draft.
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Personal information | |
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Birth name | Melvin Adam Kiper Jr. |
Nationality | American |
Born |
Baltimore, Maryland |
July 25, 1960
Alma mater | Essex Community College |
Sport | |
Sport | Football |
Event(s) | NFL Draft |
Partner | ESPN |
Updated on 26 April 2012. |
Melvin Adam "Mel" Kiper Jr. (/ˈkaɪpər/; born July 25, 1960) is an American football analyst for ESPN. He has served as an analyst for ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984, providing in-depth information on the nation's potential draft picks.
Kiper said that Ernie Accorsi, the general manager of the then-Baltimore Colts, encouraged him to become a draft analyst. Accorsi told him that there was a market for draft information and that Kiper should convert his analysis into a business.
Kiper and fellow draft analyst Todd McShay are often featured together and compare their mock drafts on ESPN programs. Kiper also co-hosts a weekend show on ESPN Radio titled "Dari and Mel" with Dari Nowkhah.
Kiper creates what he calls his "big board", on which he ranks the top 25 players every week. During the ESPN draft coverage, Kiper's big board appears on the ticker, and updates automatically once a player is selected.
Kiper married his wife, Kim, in 1989. They have one daughter. Kim assists her husband in running Mel Kiper Enterprises from their Baltimore home.