DELPHOS — Being named to the hall of fame of your collegiate alma mater is a big honor.
Only having to wait less than a decade is even more so.
Delphos resident Colin Westrich, son of Jack and Jane Westrich, had that happen to him Feb. 1 as he was inducted into the University of Toledo Rocket Varsity ‘T’ Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008.
He took his place in the hall, begun in 1977, alongside fellow gridiron greats in halfback Occie Burt (1956-59; also baseball, 1957-60), guard Mel Miller (65-68; also track and field, 67-69), wide receiver John Ross (71-74), middle guard Steve Schnitkey (68-71) and 2-way lineman/linebacker Fred Zimmerman (62-65); men’s basketball forward Greg Stempin (1997-2001); baseball greats Don Whiting (77-81) and Mike Tippenhauer (75-78); and women’s cross country/track and field star Sara Vergote (1998-2002).
“I was very surprised when I got the call. I thought that it might eventually happen but not so soon,” Westrich began. “If you look at the other football players, they played in the 1960s and 70s. There was only one person younger than me inducted (Vergote) in this class.”
When you consider the college football pedigree of the 1994 St. John’s graduate: a 3-time all-Mid-American Conference pick at offensive tackle and third-team Sporting News All-American in 1999 at 6-6, 300 pounds, helping lead the way to a nation’s-best 5.35 yards rushing per carry under then-head coach Gary Pinkel; maybe it isn’t so surprising.
“I got the call in early December telling me I had been selected and I was surprised. It gave me a lot of time to reminisce and remember my career at UT,” he recalled. “I got out the photos and the stories and looked back. It’s amazing how time flies.
“The induction ceremony was quite a night. They did it up really nice. There was a lot of media there and they had a nice crowd. A lot of Hall-of-Famers were there to welcome us and it was special. I had a lot of emotions and it’s an honor to be so recognized.”
Westrich redshirted as a true freshman in the 1994 season and was a reserve lineman who played in every game in 1995.
He redshirted in 1996 with an injury, then returned in 1997 to start 11 of 12 games for a 9-3 edition and earn second-team all-MAC. He was a first-teamer in 1998 — on a West-Division champion — and ’99. His senior season, he was one of four captains and earned national recognition under offensive line coach Dave Christensen as UT again won the West Division.
He won those All-America honors despite playing on an injured knee that eventually required several surgeries and ended his playing days after try-outs at the professional level.
“I have no regrets — none, whatsoever — about playing my senior season. I could have had surgery and that would have meant I was not going to play; I chose to play through the pain and cover it up as best I could with medication,” Westrich said. “Yes, it would have been nice to have been able to play in the pros but the knee didn’t allow it. I look at it this way; I had the opportunity to play at the Division I collegiate level and at least got the chance to try out for the NFL and CFL.
“Again, I wouldn’t have done anything different my senior year.”
Westrich reflected on his career.
“Sometimes, it seems like yesterday; other times, it seems like so long ago. I do miss playing; you see an old picture or a former teammate and it all comes back,” he added. “I get the Varsity Club newsletter and see the inductees every year. Many I didn’t recognize; they were before my time.
“To now see my name among those stars is a tremendous feeling. To know I was up there at the head table that night, that I got the chance to spend the next day with my fellow inductees and other past greats, that makes all of it worthwhile. It couldn’t be any better.”