Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American professional football coach and former wide receiver who is the tight ends coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL for 12 seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots, and holds the NFL record for most receptions by an undrafted player. Welker played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, winning the Mosi Tatupu Award and receiving first-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior.
Joining the NFL in 2004, Welker played his first three seasons with the Dolphins and set the franchise record for kick return yardage. Welker was traded to the Patriots in 2007, where he earned Pro Bowl selections in five of his six seasons, led the league in receptions three times, set the franchise record for receptions, and became one of 13 players to score a 99-yard touchdown. He played his next two seasons with the Denver Broncos and was a member of the 2013 team that set the NFL record for points scored in a season. He played for the St. Louis Rams in 2015 before retiring. Welker has served as an offensive assistant and coach since 2017 for several teams. For his accomplishments in New England, he was named to the Patriots' All-2000s, All-2010s, and All-Dynasty Teams.
Early life Welker started his football career at Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City, his hometown. In his junior year, he helped lead the Chargers to the 2A State Football championship over Tishomingo High School. In that game, Welker had three touchdowns, over 200 all-purpose yards, a 47-yard field goal, and an interception. In his high school football career, he rushed for 3,235 yards and 53 rushing touchdowns to go along with recording 174 receptions for 2,551 receiving yards and 27 receiving touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 22 interceptions, three pick-sixes, 581 tackles, and nine fumble recoveries. He handled some kicking duties and recorded 165 extra points made and 35 field goals converted. As a punt returner, he scored seven touchdowns. Also, in 1999, he was named The Daily Oklahoman All-State Player of the Year, Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the year, as well as Oklahoma State Player of the Year by USA Today.
Welker played in the 2000 Oil Bowl, scoring a 40-yard field goal for the Oklahoma team in the 11–9 loss. Out of high school, Welker was not heavily recruited, as he was considered to be too small to play at the college level. However, after a recruit at Texas Tech backed out of his scholarship, it was offered to Welker. Said Welker of the experience:
"I was thinking I'd get a scholarship somewhere. When it didn't happen when it was supposed to, on signing day, I was pretty hurt by it. … In the end, I don't think I could've picked a better school than Texas Tech."Besides football Welker also ran track his freshman and sophomore years before moving on to soccer in his junior year. He scored 15 goals in four games during the 1999 season before suffering a season-ending injury. Welker rejoined the team late in his senior year and helped lead the team to a 10-4-1 record. A two-time MVP, he also helped Heritage Hall qualify for the state tournament for the first time. Although his he only played 9 games in two seasons, he had nine assists. Which ranks him 5th in career goals and career points, and he honored by selection to the 1999 and 2000 All-District teams as well as the 2000 All-State team. He was inducted into the heritage Hall athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
College career While attending Texas Tech University, Welker played for the school's Red Raiders football team. His last-minute signing proved to be very beneficial for the Red Raider football team. Based on a highlight reel from high school, Welker earned the nickname "The Natural", given to him by his recruiter, and then running backs coach at Texas Tech, Art Briles, before his freshman year for his versatility and big-game performances.
2000 season Welker made his collegiate debut in the 2000 season opener against Utah State. He recorded an eight-yard punt return in the 38–16 victory. Two weeks later, in a 26–0 victory over Louisiana–Lafayette, he recorded a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown. He had four total punt returns on the day for 102 net yards for a 25.5 average On October 7, against Baylor, he recorded his first collegiate reception on a 37-yard catch in the 28–0 victory. On October 28, in a 45–39 victory over Kansas, he had five receptions for 72 yards to go along with a 42-yard rushing touchdown. In addition, he recorded a punt return that went 66 yards for a touchdown. As a freshman, he had 26 receptions for 334 yards. In addition, he recorded 17 kick returns for 308 net yards for a 18.0 average and 28 punt returns for 353 net yards for a 12.6 average and two punt return touchdowns.
2001 season In the Red Raiders' 2001 season opener, a 42–30 victory over New Mexico, Welker had four receptions for 40 receiving yards and his first collegiate receiving touchdown on a pass by quarterback Kliff Kingsbury. On October 13, in a 38–19 victory over Kansas State, he had six receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns. In the following game, a 41–31 loss at Nebraska, he had four receptions for 47 yards to go along with an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown. On November 3, he had 11 catches for 64 yards in the 12–0 victory over Texas A&M. As a sophomore, he had 50 receptions for 582 yards and five touchdowns.
2002 season Welker started the 2002 season off with a strong individual performance of five receptions for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the 45–21 loss to Ohio State. In the next game, he turned in another great effort with nine receptions for 153 yards in the 24–14 victory over SMU. The following week against Ole Miss, he had four receptions for 40 yards to go along with a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 42–28 victory. On October 5, against Texas A&M, he had 10 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown to go along with an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 48–47 shootout victory. On November 16, against Texas, he had 14 receptions for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the 42–38 victory. In the 2002 Tangerine Bowl, he had three receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 59-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 55–15 victory over Clemson. As a junior, he had 86 receptions for 1,054 yards and seven receiving touchdowns to go along with 57 punt returns for 752 net yards and three punt returns for touchdowns. In the Big 12 conference, his total receptions finished third, receiving yards finished sixth, and receiving touchdowns finished seventh. He led the conference and finished second in the NCAA with his total punt return yardage.
2003 season In the first three games of the 2003 season, Welker totaled 16 receptions for 183 yards and recorded a punt return touchdown in a 58–10 victory over SMU in that stretch. In his fourth game, against Ole Miss, he had 10 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown in the 49–45 victory. On October 4, against Texas A&M, he had six receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the 59–28 victory. On October 18, against Oklahoma State, he had 10 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns in the 51–49 loss. . On November 1, against Colorado, he had five receptions for 91 yards and a receiving touchdown to go along with a 58-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 26–21 victory. In his final collegiate game, in the 2003 Houston Bowl against Navy, he had seven receptions for 107 yards in the 38–14 victory. As a senior, he had 97 receptions for 1,099 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with a four-yard rushing touchdown.
Over his four-year career, he had 259 receptions for 3,019 yards and 21 touchdowns, 341 kick return yards, and 79 rushes for 456 yards and two touchdowns. He set the NCAA record for punt return yards with 1,761, and returned eight punts for touchdowns in his career, which currently places him a second place tie with Antonio Perkins for the NCAA record, and behind Dante Pettis, who finished with nine.
In 2003, Welker won the Mosi Tatupu Award, given annually to the best special teams player in college football. Welker was also named to the Sports Illustrated All-Decade Team as a punt returner.
After his senior season at Texas Tech, Welker was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.
Professional career
San Diego Chargers Welker, who went undrafted during the 2004 NFL draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, appearing in four preseason games and the regular season opener against the Houston Texans. After returning four kickoffs for 102 yards in his debut, Welker was released when the Chargers claimed safety Clinton Hart off waivers. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer later acknowledged that in terms of roster cuts, releasing Welker was the "biggest mistake [he] ever made".
Miami Dolphins
2004 season
After the Chargers released Welker, he passed through waivers. Although the Chargers offered him a slot on their practice squad, Welker chose to sign with the Miami Dolphins, where he was mostly used on special teams. Playing against the New England Patriots on October 10, 2004, Welker became the second player in NFL history to return a kickoff and a punt, kick an extra point and a field goal, and make a tackle in a single game. For this performance, Welker earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. On December 20, Welker had a 71-yard punt return to set up Miami's first touchdown in a 29–28 victory over the Patriots. In the regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, he had a 95-yard return touchdown in the 30–23 loss. Overall, he finished the 2004 season with 61 kickoff returns for 1,415 net yards (23.20 average) and a kickoff return touchdown to go along with 43 punt returns for 464 net yards (10.79 average).
2005 season
During training camp at the beginning of the 2005 season, Welker was promoted to the third wide receiver spot after Chris Chambers and Marty Booker. He finished the 2005 season with 29 receptions for 434 yards. In addition, he had 43 punt returns for 390 yards, a 9.1-yard average (11th in the NFL), and 61 kick returns for 1,379 yards, a 22.6-yard average (20th in the NFL).
2006 season
After rumors that he would be cut during the preseason, Welker started off being a bright spot in the struggling Dolphins' offense. Through five games, he netted a team-high 29 catches and team-high 299 yards. On October 8, 2006, he was a reliable target for backup quarterback Joey Harrington, recording a then career-high nine catches for 77 yards in a 20–10 loss to the New England Patriots. For the season, he had a team-best 67 receptions for 687 yards and one touchdown. He returned 48 kickoffs for 1,048 yards (22.2 average) and 41 punts for 378 yards (9.2 average).
New England Patriots 2007 season
On March 1, 2007, the Dolphins offered Welker, a restricted free agent, a second-round tender of $1.35 million for a one-year contract. News reports indicated the New England Patriots, who were interested in Welker, had originally considered signing him to an offer sheet. Miami would have had seven days to match the offer. According to The Boston Globe, that sheet would have contained a poison pill provision that would have made the offer difficult for the Dolphins to match. Ultimately, however, the Patriots decided not to use such an offer and traded their 2007 second-round draft pick and a seventh-round draft pick to the Dolphins for Welker.