Sports Turf Spotlight
Turning Fenway into a
Football Stadium By Tom Layman
N
ESTMA member David Mellor might have had the most important job before the 135th playing of The Game on Saturday afternoon, November 17, 2018, but he wasn’t found on a roster of Harvard or Yale. He wasn’t listed on the coaching or support staff either. Mellor was responsible for turning Fenway Park into a football field. The
senior director of grounds and his team took the job seriously, and they were ready to show off their handiwork for one of college football’s most storied rivalries. “I think it’s exciting,” Mellor said in an interview. “One of the best parts of my job is being behind the scenes and helping people create memories on the field.” Mellor got his break in major league baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers 34
years ago, and has been with the Red Sox for the past 19. Fenway Park was home to the Boston Patriots, now the New England Patriots, from 1963–68, and in recent years, football has made a comeback to the yard born in 1912. It hosted a matchup between Boston College and Notre Dame in 2015 and several regional high school football matchups in the last couple of years. Photo by Aaron Goldman
16 • New England BLADE • March 2019
