Tyler Horning/Collegian
Welch snaps the ball against Wayne State at Ford Field Saturday.
According to head coach Keith Otterbein, senior Jake Welch is a "really sharp football player" who "understands 'the pit.'"
"He understands all of the communication and intricacies of the game - the difference between a block and almost a block, those subtle things," Otterbein said.
A finance major with minors in biology and chemistry, Welch, who is from Eaton, Ohio, played football all five years he has been at the Dale.
Welch has played center for the Chargers for the last two years. Before that, he played starting guard, and he played center and defensive tackle and guard in high school for six years.
As center, "I'm basically in the middle of everything," Welch said. "I have a lot of control over what goes on in the line."
Welch said being "a bigger guy I was naturally drawn to the contact sports."
"It's a chance to get out aggression," he said. "You obviously can't go around hitting people, you won't be very well-liked."
Welch said he finds football to be challenging both physically and mentally.
"There's quite a bit of thinking and knowing what you're supposed to do every play," he said. "It's not as easy as people assume it is."
Otterbein said Welch knows "most of the things most spectators don't even know about or understand."
"To be a good offensive line you must have a center with a lot of knowledge," Otterbein said. "If you've got a good center, meaning you're smart up the middle, you're going to be a more successful team."
According to Otterbein, Welch is a hard worker who "leads by example."
"He works his tail off," Otterbein said. "[He is a] tough guy - he's played through pain and injury."
Welch had knee surgery in high school and has battled through two shoulder surgeries since he came to Hillsdale.
"[He is] mentally tough," Otterbein said. "[He] gutted it out, sucked it up, to perform."
Despite his struggles with injuries and his 300 pounds, which would slow down a lesser athlete, Welch is a skilled center. The offense often "pulls him" to mix up their offense, rather than just having him block for the quarterback.
Otterbein said Welch is also a good student.
"I don't know if I've ever been in the library when he's not studying," Otterbein said.
Welch said his freshman year he "struggled a little bit" with trying to balance academics and football, "until I figured I needed to dedicate a little more time to studying."
Welch, who is a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, said during his downtime he enjoys reading - especially fictional crime novels - playing video games, and going out on weekends.
"Basically a little bit of everything," he said.
Welch said he had offers from other schools but turned them down to attend Hillsdale.
"It was basically the academics and the campus that drew me here," he said. "The other schools didn't have the best academic reputations. I knew I'd get a quality education here."
Welch also said he thought the facilities for the football team at Hillsdale, considering the campus size, were amazing.
He said he hopes to use his education to pursue a caree as a field agent in the FBI or CIA. He also might go to graduate school.
"Nothing's set in stone right now, I'm just interviewing with different companies," he said.
With the leadership skills he has acquired at Hillsdale, he is sure to be a success no matter what he chooses to do.