Whenever Harry Welch descended into his Turkeyfoot Heights basement in recent years, memories would come flooding back.
The bevy of photographs, newspaper clippings, trophies and other memorabilia on display told the story of Welch’s incredible life.
An Akron native who graduated from Kenmore High School in 1949, Welch died on March 2, according to his obituary. He was 95.
For 22 years, Welch taught business administration courses at Coventry High School, where he also worked as an assistant football coach and athletic director. He eventually transitioned to Portage Lakes Joint Vocational School, where he rose to adult education director before retirement.
Welch used lessons acquired from contractor friends to launch his own construction company. He built many Portage Lakes homes and offices.
Yet, Welch’s greatest claim to fame is his time as a USC starting cornerback in the 1951 and 1952 seasons. He played a pivotal role in USC’s 7-0 Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin on Jan. 1, 1953. He had an interception in the second quarter, registered key tackles and served as the holder on the Trojans’ successful extra-point kick in front of an announced crowd of 101,500 in Pasadena, California.
“I had a good Rose Bowl,” Welch told the Beacon Journal in 2023. “There wasn’t a pass completed in my area.”
The Rose Bowl triumph was Welch’s final college game. He received a shot in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, but they cut him in the preseason after a broken ankle derailed his bid for a roster spot.
Welch had another interesting job, though. He became an extra in Hollywood movies, including “The Winning Team” (1952) and “All American” (1953). Although Welch said he never had a speaking part, he acted in films with Tony Curtis, Elizabeth Taylor, former USC football teammate Frank Gifford and Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States.
“I made something like $29 a day,” Welch said. “That was a lot of money back then.”
Stunts paid more, and Welch often performed them. He played the part of an athlete on more than one occasion.
“For a good tackle, we got $75,” he said.
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Welch met his late wife, Jean, at the University of Akron. The couple had three children, son Jeff and daughters Kerry and Lynn, and were married for more than 65 years until Jean died in 2021 at the age of 88.
Welch was inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, joining his father, Howe, who had been enshrined in 1964. They were both standouts on the local golf scene.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Harry Welch, a Rose Bowl champ, coach and Portage Lakes builder, dies
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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