Local QB Gets Chance with Rampage
Randy Snow
Wednesday March 26, 2003
“I chose Western Michigan because they were going to let me play baseball, too.” said Welsh. An All-MAC honorable mention in 1999, his overall record as a starting quarterback was 15-6. He also compiled a 6-3 record as a relief pitcher for the Broncos baseball team.
Welsh appeared in back-to-back MAC Championship games in 1999 and 2000, both against the Thundering Herd of Marshall in Huntington, West Virginia. The 2000 game featured a showdown between Welsh and Marshall’s Byron Leftwich. In that game, Marshall lead 13-0 at halftime, but Welsh and the Broncos came back to take the lead 14-13 early in the fourth quarter. Marshall then regained the lead later in the fourth, but the Broncos mounted a drive in the final minutes. Unfortunately, Welsh was intercepted with 1:21 left. Leftwich and Marshall hung on to win the game 19-14. It was Marshall’s fourth consecutive MAC championship and second strait over Welsh and Western Michigan.
After college, Welsh worked out for several NFL scouts who came to the Western Michigan University campus. He also attended a local workout with the Chicago Bears in Illinois along with his brother, John, who played quarterback at the University of Idaho. “I got hurt in college so that set me back a little bit. I still wanted to play football and that’s why I went to the af2. I sent film to five or six teams that I knew were looking for a quarterback.” Welsh spent some time on the 2002 Columbus Wardog roster.
With the addition of a third quarterback to the AFL roster this season, Welsh signed with the Rampage as a free agent on January 5. The third quarterback is now allowed to dress for all the games and even travel to away games, which is something the rest of the guys on the practice squad don’t get to do. “They don’t even put my name on the roster,” said Welsh. “I’m still considered a practice squad guy, but I get to travel and do everything with the team.”
Life on the practice squad can be frustrating for someone who has been a starter, but Welsh is taking it all in stride. “The only time I get reps in team practice is when we are running the other teams offense against our defense. I maybe get a quarter to half of the plays and that’s about it. During the one-on-one drills I let the receivers call the routes because they are the ones playing this year and I try to help them out as much as possible.”
During post-game autograph sessions, people who knew him from his playing days at Western Michigan and even people from back home in Chicago are surprised to find that the former Broncos starter is a member of the Rampage. “They’re like, ‘I didn’t know you were on the team!’” said Welsh. “I don’t have a problem with that. As long as my family and friends know.” Welsh’s parents have already made the trip to Grand Rapids a couple of times this season to see the Rampage play.
“I definitely would rather be playing,” said Welsh, “but it was my goal to make it up to the next level and I’m happy that Grand Rapids gave me an opportunity to come up here and play.”
It just goes to show you that sometimes the road from college to the pros can take you no farther than your own backyard.
More Rampage-WMU Connections
Rampage assistant coach Tony Kimbrough was hired to be the tight end coach at Western Michigan University on March 17. Kimbrough, who was an unpaid assistant with the Rampage this season, also played quarterback at Western Michigan University and led the team to its only outright MAC championship in 1988. He also played five seasons in the AFL and has been an assistant coach with the Buffalo Destroyers and the Georgia Force.
The Rampage also signed veteran DS Mark Ricks on March 20 after being released by the Arizona Rattlers the week before. Ricks played college football at Western Michigan University in 1991 and 1992. He has been playing in the AFL since 1996.
af2 Connection
When the season began, three of the four people that the Rampage had on their practice squad had experience playing in the af2, including third string quarterback Jeff Welsh.
Randy Snow covered the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League for ArenaFan from 2003-2008. He also covered the Fort Wayne Fusion of arenafootball2 in 2007. From 2004-2008 and in 2010, he was a member of the Arena Football League Writer’s Association and, since 2011, has been a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association. Randy lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan but will travel just about anywhere for a football game or a great football story. He runs the web site www.theworldoffootball.com and hosts a podcast with his son, Adam, called “This Week in The World of Football.”
