BRIGHTON – Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D., was one of many schools to show Brighton football player Aaron Welch some interest.

The interest was sufficient that Welch returned the favor by signing a letter of intent Feb. 9 to play football for the Yellow Jackets.

"I looked at Adams State, CSU-Pueblo and some (NCAA) Division III schools," Welch said. "I met the (BHSU) coaches. They are a lot younger, so they understand you and what you're going through. The coaches were good guys. They were interested in me and got me up there to look at the facilities. It was great."

Welch, a three-year letter-winner, was in on 54 tackles, 25 of which were unassisted. He also intercepted three passes and returned one of them for a touchdown – all against Littleton. All of that contributed to an all-conference selection.

"Some of the Division II schools looked at him but didn't like his size," BHS coach Pat Sandoval said. "They missed out. He won our most prestigious award. I'm looking forward to hearing his name as an all-conference choice."

Welch is one of 17 signees for Black Hills State. The program has been in existence since the 1890s. The school fields athletic teams in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The school could move up to NCAA Division II at some point in the future.

"When recruiting athletes to Black Hills State University, the first thing that our coaching staff looks at is a player’s effort level,” said BHSU coach Jay Long on the school's Web site.  “If he is an effort guy, he will have success in our program. We feel this group of young men exemplify what Jacket football is about."

Welch isn't sure what he wants to study. He'd like to stay involved in sports, whether it's through exercise science or as a physical education teacher.

"They came to the school (BHS) and pulled me out of class," Welch said. "They started going over some things. They called me up for a visit. The main reason I chose them was the coaching staff. They are good guys."

"Both he and Ryan (Ryan Delay) came back and said how nice the school was. They were in awe of the structure of the football program," Sandoval said. "They saw him on film. He has the GPA (3.2) and the ACTs (22). He fits perfectly. I'm excited."

Welch is both scared and nervous about what lies ahead.

"I'm nervous. it's a far-away place (about a 5 1/2-hour drive)," Welch said. "But I'm excited about continuing to play football, get an education and, hopefully, make some money. I have no idea what's in store. I've got what I've got. I'm just going to see what this has in store for me."