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PCN talks with MSU-N captain

After redshirting his first year at Montana State University Northern in 2017, former Malta Mustang standout Ostin Welch has made up for lost time as a Northern Lights defensive back.

Welch, son of Jerry and Beth Welch of Miles City, helped lead MSU-Northern's defense as a captain in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. In 2018 Welch posted 43 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups. He continued his success in 2019 with 29 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups, and one fumble recovery, despite starting the season with a hip injury that kept him out of the first two games.

"I came back during the third game at home and one of our cornerbacks made a couple of mistakes," Welch said.

The coaches asked Welch if he was ready to go during the game, and Welch responded with five tackles and an interception, earning a starting spot on the team. Welch has since been used as the corner guarding the opposing team's top receiver.

Welch graduated from Malta high school in 2017, after helping the Mustang basketball team secure a Class B title. A few months prior, Welch was an All-State selection on the 2016 District 2B football honors list. Since his graduation at MHS, his family has moved to Miles City, a place that feels far away from Ostin's stomping grounds. He has stayed there, studying at home, since school shut down due to the COVID-19 virus.

"It's completely different, especially since all of my friends are in Havre or Malta," Welch said. "I don't know very many people here so it's rough."

Welch has been constantly adjusting to things on the football field, as the team has switched defensive back coaches fives times since he joined MSU-Northern. The 2019 team has its share of injuries on top of being young. They also added a new defensive coordinator early in the season. Despite the changes, Welch has done his best to make the most of each situation.

"Each time a new coach comes in, you have to fight your way to the top again and learn what they want you to learn," Welch said. "It has helped so much because they all teach you to do something different (as far as technique)."

Welch said he is still learning his defensive playbook and while the quarantine continues for students at MSU-Northern, Welch has been working out at home.

"I have my own weights but I know teammates that are filling their backpacks with books or using containers of water to lift," Welch said. "A lot of it involves bodyweight and just running."

The team's off-season program typically starts during the summer months but Welch, like anyone else in the college football world, is unsure of when the football year will officially begin.

His last game of 2019 proved to be his favorite game of the season, even though it was a loss to The College of Idaho. Welch had five pass breakups and five tackles in the defeat.

"It was the end of the season and we knew we weren't going anywhere, so we just went out there and finished off the season," Welch said. "It ended up being a really good game for me and I had a lot of fun."

A year earlier, Welch was unable to finish the season, as he struggled to sleep, which led to an illness that kept him out of the final two games in 2018. Since then, Welch has been adjusting his diet and trying to improve his sleeping habits.

Welch had a pair of interceptions this season, for a total of three in his career. His first was against the University of Montana Western in September of 2018. Welch was a safety at the time. He said that he was backpedaling, staying in the middle of the field, and making sure that he the deepest player on the field. The teams front seven blitzed and put pressure on Western's quarterback.

"My instincts took over and I started running to meet their receiver," Welch said. "We both went up at the same time and I jumped a little bit higher and was able to high-point it."

When Welch landed, his foe fought for the ball, but Welch held on to gain possession.

Welch was asked when he knew that he could confidently play college football. He answered that he knew he could play at the level during his redshirt season.

"I got there and the skill level is completely different," Welch said. "Everyone there is an all-star and every college is an all-star team."

The first thing Welch had to learn during that redshirt year was adjusting to the speed difference in the college game. He said that in college, teams were running different techniques that he had never seen in his high school years.

"I grew fast, once I had seen it all," he said. "Once I got burned on a play, I never let it happen again."

Coaches encouraged Welch, and told him that he was talented and could keep up with college receivers. In his second year, he was asked to play cornerback instead of safety due to his athleticism. With that came a number change; a change from #40, which he had worn through his years at Malta, to #26, a number that took a while to grow on him.

"I cared a ton," Welch said of the position change. "I told the coach, that I didn't want to play corner. I told him that I had to play it during my senior year of high school and coach said, 'oh perfect!'"

His coach then told Welch that he couldn't be selfish and sometimes you have to do things for your team. The coach then said that no corner is going to wear the number 40.

"I've just rocked the 26 since then," Welch said. "I actually really like the number now and now I can't see myself wearing any other number."

Welch has set a goal for himself in 2020; to lead the conference in interceptions.

 

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