Wellman is a throwback player in a different type of game

Redshirt junior fullback Elijah Wellman is a dying breed – a throwback if you will.

In an age where statistics and touchdowns are the determination of a player’s worth, the Huntington native is content doing what he does. What is that?

Blocking and doing it well.

“Because people like reading their name in the paper they want to be a guy that gets more stats as opposed to guys like Eli that just do their job,” head coach Dana Holgorsen said.

Wellman is coming off his best two performances of the season against Oklahoma State and Kansas, even earning offensive player of the game for his work against the Jayhawks. The bulldozing fullback was key on the majority of the long runs by the Mountaineers including both touchdowns by Skyler Howard.

During the game, Wellman played around 70 total snaps and his role increased because the Mountaineers elected to go big and run the football to combat the aggressive nature of the Kansas defense. His efforts proved to be the difference.

Blocking is often misunderstood in football as most peg it as simply being chalked up to effort alone. Well, there is an element of technique and repetition that go into being effective at the college level. And a few weeks ago it was something that running backs coach JaJuan Seider recognized on film and started to work with Wellman on getting back to the basics in his role.

“When he was playing in space he was going to lead on guys and was reaching and getting away from the framework of his body. He was not fitting it up right and running with his feet,” Seider said.

So the assistant worked with Wellman on tightening up his hit zone and then running through his hips while locking on and extending in the open field. The results have been evident.

“We got back to the basics. I challenged him because I didn’t think he played his best. But the last two weeks he’s really shown up,” Seider said.

On each snap, Wellman is focused on one thing and one thing alone: his assignment. On top of the work he’s done with Seider, he also credits his comfort level for his improvement of late.

And while it might be difficult for some players to embrace a role that doesn’t come with the glory of catching or running the football, Wellman has no issues in that department and ironically blocks it out.

“That’s what I do. I embrace that and that’s good enough for me. Seeing those guys running out of the corner of my eye into the end zone that’s what I’m here for,” Wellman said.

On top of the blocking element, Wellman also allows the Mountaineers offense to be more versatile and move into different formations without changing personnel. For example, he has lined up at fullback, flexed, tight end and even running back this season in different personnel groupings.

“It’s an ability to get in and out of sets,” offensive coordinator Joe Wickline said.

But for Wellman, it doesn’t matter to him as long as he is able to continue to make an impact on the field for West Virginia whether it goes largely unnoticed on the stat sheets or not.

“This is what I’m going to do 100-percent every game,” he said.

A throwback indeed.