Slotback Welch enjoys new roles
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| • | Ferd Lewis: Chang continues to grow |
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
After a rigorous two-hour football practice, the fellas like to gather at the University of Hawai'i's breakfast table and discuss their favorite topic.
"We talk about milk," said slotback Gerald Welch, who is among the new fathers on the Warrior football team. "We're always talking about where you can get the cheapest milk. It helps to have people from every part of the island. It's fun to listen to each other's stories."
Gerald Welch caught two scoring passes in the 41-21 victory over Rice on Saturday.
As much as Welch has enjoyed the birth of his son, Harvey, he is relishing the rebirth of his football career. Buried on the depth chart after battling weight problems and a torn knee ligament, Welch put together a breakout performance in a 41-21 victory over Rice on Saturday at Aloha Stadium.
The 5-foot-3/4, 190-pound Welch caught two scoring passes, including a leaping grab that defied gravity and expectations.
"I couldn't really believe I could jump that high," Welch said. "After I made it, I was about to cry."
There was a time, as a standout receiver at Saint Louis School, that Welch had little trouble soaring. He scored 27 touchdowns as a senior.
But that was then, and at UH, he had difficulty earning significant playing time. A torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in April 2002 kept him out of practice for more than six months.
"I was sitting on the side, thinking this has been rough," he recalled.
But he said he found inspiration from rapper 50 Cent's "Wanksta," whose lyrics became his mantra: "In high school you was the man, homie, what the ... happened to you?"
"Everytime I heard that song, I felt like he was singing to me," Welch said. "That song gave me motivation."
During the summer, Welch, who lives in Kahuku, worked as a plasterer for a Honolulu company owned by his girlfriend's father. During his free time, Welch joined high school teammate Tim Chang, UH's starting quarterback, and other UH players in seven-on-seven drills.
"We've worked a long time together," Welch said of Chang. "I'm used to his timing. We should know what we're doing."
After slotback Nate Ilaoa underwent season-ending surgery two weeks ago, Welch moved into the starting lineup. The journey appeared to be longer because of Welch's mature looks.
"Me and (wideout) Michael Miyashiro always argue about who looks older," said Welch, a 22-year-old junior. "He's 29. He should look older."
Dominique Ponciano, who attended Kahuku High, said her classmates used to tease her about dating an older-looking man. She recalled: "Before the Prep Bowl, all of the (Kahuku) players said, 'Isn't he 21 already? He shouldn't be playing.' "
Ponciano and Welch still live in Kahuku, and each morning he makes the long drive to Manoa for the 7 o'clock practice.
"I wake up at 4:45, read the newspaper and leave at 5:15," he said. "Once I get in the car, it's not so bad. It takes about an hour and 10 minutes. I get there early enough where I see all of the boys. We share the stories about what our children do. I'm not the only one out there who's a dad. We try to be the best dads we can while playing football. We love being dads. My son (about 6 months old) is a handsome young man. He's always smiling. He really makes my day."
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.
