Once a Buckeye, Jeffrey Meldon is Now a Gator for Good
Jeffrey Meldon was born and raised in one of the most sports-rich cities in America – Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up worshiping the likes of legendary Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes and the Cleveland Browns, who he swears were “pretty good back then,” followed by a chuckle.
After graduating from Ohio State University in 1966, followed by earning a law degree from Case Western Reserve Law School in 1969, the Clevelander trekked south to Gainesville, Florida, where he worked his first jury trial in the State of Florida in 1971.
Fifty years later, Meldon was just celebrated by the Florida Bar for a half century of service.
But the Central Florida injury and criminal defense attorney isn’t done yet.
On Wednesday night, Meldon celebrated his second Ocala location’s grand opening – and he did it in grand fashion.
Towards the end of 2020, Meldon inked a deal with the University of Florida that gave him and his associates the distinction of being the “official law firm partner of the Florida Gators.“
“It’s a great honor to be chosen among all the different law firms as the only official law firm partner of the Florida Gators,” Meldon said. “What we plan on doing is actually to activate our relationship with the University Athletic Association by promoting all of the Gators’ sports – not just football.”
Though Meldon’s upbringing and watching the Browns win a Super Bowl in 1964 led him to love the game of football, he recognizes that the University of Florida has so much value athletically beyond the gridiron.
Meldon says the communities in the Ocala and Gainesville area are special because they also recognize the value of UF sports beyond the walls of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
“Football is the big sport and the big dog and all of that,” Meldon said. “But people in Gainesville and Ocala, they love coming to Gators basketball, coming to baseball games, softball games, volleyball, gymnastics events... What we want to do is really publicize that; do ticket giveaways to people in our community because those are the sports that are most supported by locals.
“We want to really make it fun and exciting and help the Gators fill the house for every sporting event.”
And if Wednesday night’s event at Meldon’s new Ocala location proved anything, it’s that
Meldon, his family and team know how to draw a crowd and have fun.
Meldon opened his ribbon cutting to the public. People from all over Ocala and its surrounding areas flocked under a white tent in the parking lot of Meldon’s new location on U.S. HWY 441 in the heart of Ocala to celebrate the accomplishment.
Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn was on site for the celebration, in addition to members of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber and Economic Partnership.
The parking lot was dotted with orange and blue balloon arrangements, cups of beer, cheese boards, pizza and lots of free swag bearing the logos of the University of Florida and Meldon Law. There were plenty of incentives to draw a party crowd, but none as rewarding as the Head Ball Coach himself.
Former Florida Gators football player and head coach Steve Spurrier joined the crowd on Wednesday to celebrate not only Meldon, but also recognize what Meldon’s partnership will bring to University Athletic Association.
“On behalf of the University of Florida, were proud to be associated with Meldon Law and his crew,” Spurrier said. “We’re happy that he’s opening up his new locationnhere and he does a super job all over the state so we’re happy and proud to be associated with Meldon Law.”
While Meldon and his team of attorneys stand behind their motto, “Won’t Back Down,” which plays homage to the Tom Petty song played at UF sporting events, Meldon’s impact on the State of Florida extends beyond quality legal practice.
In 1997, Meldon started his Scholar-Athlete Program, which initially recognized one male and one female high school athlete from the North Central Florida area on a monthly basis.
Since then, the program has blossomed into a weekly award that Meldon gives to student-athletes in conjunction with WCJB TV20. The Scholar Athlete Program now also dishes out two annual awards for the Male and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year.
According to Meldon, Meldon Law has handed out more than 600 scholarships to local high school student-athletes.
After 50 years in the Ocala-Gainesville area, his youthful years of cheering for the teams back home are a thing of the past.
“When I came down here and started getting excited about being a Gators fan, now the Gators are obviously my No. 1 team,” Meldon said. “Some people don’t know it, but my No. 2 team is still my alma mater, Ohio State.
“But when the Gators play the Buckeyes, I’m always pulling for the Gators.”
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