Offensive linemen typically don't get the limelight or headlines like many of their offensive counterparts.
While quarterbacks, receivers and running backs typically see their names in the lights, the guys up front work hard to block and open running lanes.
And for Jacob Welch, a 6-foot-6-inch, 395-pound, three-star offensive lineman at Johnsburg High School (IL), he wouldn't have it any other way.
"That isn’t something that bothers me really during the football game. I’m a team player and I’m willing to battle in the trenches to give my team the best chance of winning every Friday night. My fun is when my teammates score in the end zone and I can pick them up and throw them in the air," Welch told Heartland Sports Report.
Since taking up the game of football, Welch has had many opportunities to lift his teammates up into the air after touchdowns.
"I enjoyed watching football on tv when I was younger. My dad, my uncles, and my grandpa all played football growing up. It’s in my blood. What I enjoy most about the game of football is the physicality. I enjoy playing offensive line and moving your opponent from point A to point B against his will. It is the best feeling ever," Welch admitted.
During his junior career, Welch set out to achieve several goals and accomplished each of them -- being selected a team captain, earning all-state honors, being named to the all-academic team, earning first team all-area team honors, earning first team all-conference honors, averaging six pancake blocks a game and earning a Division I scholarship offer.
"I attribute my success to having a family that supports me. I am blessed. I give credit to my coaches and my teammates for having faith in me and pushing me to be better. Lastly, the different trainers that I work with who help me mentally and physically," Welch said.
With his senior season approaching, Welch told HSR his goal is to help lead his team to the playoffs.
"That has already started with our off season training," Welch said.
The hard work has paid off for Welch, who recently earned his first scholarship offer, which came from Central Michigan University.
"I was pretty much speechless. It was an amazing feeling, and I felt blessed," Welch said of his first offer.
He noted that he is still gathering information from several schools and finding out what the schools are like.
"I’m enjoying the process and learning a lot about how this works. Academics are important to me. I want to find a place that will feel like home," Welch said.