Over 20 years after his playing career in Lubbock came to an end, wide receiver Wes Welker remains one of the most popular figures in program history. That's because a generation of Red Raiders grew up watching the undersized Oklahoma native make jaw-dropping plays almost every time he stepped onto the field.
Sure, the general football world will always remember him more for his NFL career. Playing for five different franchises over the course of 12 seasons, he racked up 903 receptions for 9,924 yards and 50 TDs while redefining how an inside receiver can change the game of football.
Before Welker made a name for himself in the NFL, teams at the game's highest level thought that undersized slot receivers were simply gadget players. Pass catchers built like Welker were lucky to earn one of the last remaining roster spots and if they saw any action on game days, it was usually only for a handful of snaps.
However, Welker showed that an offense can thrive when featuring the slot receiver. Leading the NFL in receptions three times and having five seasons of over 100 catches, he prompted teams from the NFL to high school to reconsider how they viewed the spread offense and utilized the slot receiver position.
Today, slot receivers are as coveted as nearly any offensive weapon. And the modern players who line up where Welker did on the field have the Red Raider legend to thank for their success.
This week, Texas Tech announced that Welker (along with tight end Andre Tillman and linebacker Thomas Howard) will be inducted into the program's Ring of Honor this fall. It's a fitting tribute to a player who helped define the Mike Leach era of the program and who proved that small receivers have big potential to change games. So let's look at the five best games Welker played during his Texas Tech football career.
No. 5: @ Ohio State 2002
To open the 2002 season, Texas Tech had a golden opportunity to shock the nation by taking on No. 13 Ohio State on the road. Unfortunately, Kliff Kingsbury and Wes Welker couldn't throw the Red Raiders past the Buckeyes as the home team prevailed 45-21.
While the star of that game was Ohio State true freshman running back Maurice Clarett who gashed the Red Raiders for 175 yards and three touchdowns, Welker also made quite the impression that day. In fact, he was the story for the Red Raiders (at least on a positive note).
Catching five passes, he racked up 117 yards and two touchdowns. Averaging 23.4 yards per catch, Welker carved up an Ohio State defense that allowed only 13.0 points per game in a season that saw the Buckeyes go undefeated and win the National Championship.
It was quite an impressive showing for Welker. Unfortunately, he was overshadowed by Clarett's big day.
No. 4: @ Ole Miss 2003
One famous Texas Tech game that was not broadcast on television but was streamed online in the early days of streaming when mostly just bars and restaurants around Lubbock could figure out a way to show the game was Tech's 2003 trip to Ole Miss. Those who found a way to watch that game were treated to a classic Red Raider comeback win and a vintage Wes Welker performance.
That day, in a 49-45 win over Eli Manning and the Rebels, it was Welker and Tech QB B.J. Symons who stole the show. Symons threw for 661 yards and six touchdowns with ten of those passes and 131 of those yards going to Welker.
Welker had a second-quarter touchdown pass to put the Red Raiders up 14-10 early. However, the Rebels would jump out to a 45-34 lead in the middle of the fourth quarter. Fortunately, two unanswered Texas Tech touchdown passes would vault the Red Raiders to a dramatic win.
No. 3: vs. Colorado 2003
Welker had a big senior year with 97 catches for 1,099 yards and 9 TD receptions, all career-highs. That was a huge reason Symons set a single-season NCAA record for passing yards that year.
When Colorado came to Lubbock in November, all of Welker's skills were on display. In fact, he helped the Red Raiders manage to pull out another comeback win.
After the Buffaloes jumped out to a 14-3 lead, Welker would return a pun 58 yards for a TD to cut the deficit to 14-9. That was his 8th career punt return TD, a new NCAA record. Later, he would snag a 13-yard TD pass to put Tech ahead 19-14.
For the game, Welker caught five passes for 91 yards and a TD. He also returned four punts for 102 yards and another TD as the Red Raiders prevailed 26-21.
No. 2: vs. Texas 2002
Tech was a substantial underdog when No. 4 Texas came to Lubbock for the home finale in 2002. However, in Kliff Kingsbury's final home game as a Red Raider, Welker had one of his greatest performances to help his team capture a stunning 42-38 win.
After Texas took a 14-0 lead, Welker went up into a crowd of four players and plucked a toss-up throw from Kingsbury out of the air and scurried into the endzone to get his team on the board. It was the quintessential Welker play as the smallest player on the field somehow came up with the big play.
Later, in the third quarter, he hauled in a five-yard TD pass to break a 21-21 tie. However, his greatest moment that night was still to come.
With Tech nursing a four-point lead in the final three minutes, on 3rd-and-nine from the Tech 36, Tech ran a double pass where Kingsbury threw a swing pass to Mickey Peters who then fired the ball downfield to a streaking Welker for a 34-yard gain to essentially seal the win.
For the game, Welker had 14 receptions for 169 yards and two TDs while rushing four times for 40 yards to give him over 200 yards of total offense on the day. Throw in the 38 yards he had in punt returns and it was one of his best days as a Red Raider.
No. 1: @ Texas A&M in 2002
Earlier that season, Welker had his greatest game as a collegiate. Unfortunately, it was another game that was not shown on television leaving most fans to follow along on the radio.
When Tech traveled to Texas A&M in early October, a cavalcade of mistakes by the Red Raiders helped the Aggies jump out to a 35-17 lead entering the fourth quarter. However, some Welker magic would flip the script.
In the fourth quarter, Welker returned a punt 88 yards for a TD on a play where he was nearly knocked off of his feet. That play is one of the most iconic plays in Texas Tech history and it put the Red Raiders up 36-35, their first lead of the day.
For the game, Welker would catch ten passes for 120 yards and a TD while returning six punts for 166 yards and another score. In the 48-47 double-OT Texas Tech win, Welker accounted for 327 yards and two scores in one of the greatest performances in Texas Tech football history.