Jimmy Welch

Welch lettered three years in football at Lubbock High School. The fullback played on both the 1951 and 1952 state champion teams. In 1952 he ran for 1,101 yards with a 6.4 yards per carry average in the regular season. He scored 18 touchdowns that season. Those statistics helped him to be named All-District, All State, and nominated as a Parade All-American. He was co-captain of the Westerners his senior year, also serving as senior class president. Furthermore, he was named to the Texas All-State Choir from 1952 to 1954.

While heavily recruited by colleges across the nation for football, he also received scholarship offers for voice and academics.

Welch received a football scholarship to the University of Texas where he lettered for three years, and played in the 1958 Sugar Bowl as a member of Coach Darrell Royal’s first Longhorn team.

After a distinguished career in the steel industry in Ohio, Welch retired to Sante Fe, New Mexico. He passed away on November 23, 2012.