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Recruiting: Cedar Creek football star Malachi Melton commits to Purdue

The dynamic wide receiver and defensive back decided on the Boilermakers after narrowing his choices to also include Temple and Rutgers, his parents' alma mater.

Cedar Creek’s Malachi Melton (left) and his father, Gary Melton.
Cedar Creek’s Malachi Melton (left) and his father, Gary Melton.Read morePHIL ANASTASIA / Staff

One brother went south. Another brother went north.

The third brother, Malachi “Max” Melton, a senior at Cedar Creek High School, announced Tuesday that he will follow his own path, committing to head west to attend Purdue on a football scholarship.

“Ever since I stepped on that campus, I felt at home,” Melton said after making his decision during a news conference in the gymnasium of the school in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County. “They welcomed me with wide arms.”

The 6-foot, 175-pound Melton is a speedy and dynamic athlete. He plays wide receiver and defensive back for Cedar Creek and projects as a cornerback for Purdue.

“Cornerback and special teams,” Melton said.

Melton is the third of Gary and Vicky Melton’s three sons to star on the football field for Cedar Creek and earn a scholarship to an NCAA Division I program.

“We opened in 2010, and we’ve always had a Melton on the field,” Cedar Creek principal Scott Parker said in addressing Melton and his family before the formal announcement. “That will change after next year. Unless you’re hiding another one.”

The Meltons’ oldest son, Gary, played football at Delaware State. He is pursuing a career in criminal justice. The middle son, Bo, is a junior wide receiver at Rutgers.

Melton, the baby of the family, said he had “sleepless nights” trying to decide on his college destination.

He has special ties to Rutgers. In addition to his brother, his father was a wide receiver and his mother played basketball for the Scarlet Knights.

“Nights up to 3 in the morning just thinking,” Melton said. “I wish Rutgers the best, but I felt like Purdue was right for me.”

Melton has nine scholarship offers. He narrowed his choices to three, with hats from Temple, Rutgers, and Purdue on the table in front of him Tuesday.

Melton wore a pink dress shirt, buttoned to the top. After he put on the Purdue hat, he took off the shirt and revealed a black-and-gold Purdue shirt.

“I was hot,” Melton said. “But I liked being a little flashy and ripping off the shirt.”

Melton said he relied heavily on his brothers during the recruiting process.

“It helped a ton,” Melton said.” I don’t know what I would do without them, because even with them, I was still stressed."

Purdue and Rutgers are in different divisions in the Big Ten Conference, but they are scheduled to play in West Lafayette, Ind., in 2020, so Melton could find himself across the field from his brother Bo.

“That will be fun,” Melton said.

Melton said he seriously considered Temple because of his relationship with assistant coach Fran Brown.

“Temple was there,” Melton said. “I’ve had good times with Coach Fran ... . He puts people in the league [NFL]. He puts corners in the league left and right.”

Melton said he was inspired by his brothers and motivated to match their work ethic.

“Where I’m from, Mays Landing, New Jersey, everybody is chasing the same thing,” Melton said. “All you hear in school, when you are playing in the playground, ’I want to go D-1. I want to go D-1.’

“But what separates D-1 from the normal people is how much work you put in. It doesn’t just come to you naturally. You’ve got to put in the work for it.”

His father, who was a star running back at nearby Absegami High, said it was “surreal” to see three sons earn Division I scholarships.

“From the beginning, it was, ‘You’re going to study hard. You’re going to play hard. You’re going to play the game the right way,’ ” Gary Melton said. “From the time they were young, they had colleges hanging up on their wall. It was the culture that we built in order for them to realize it’s achievable.”