Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Julius Welschof has taken a circuitous route to the NFL. He began playing American football at a much later age than most due in large part to being from Germany. Then he made his way to the United States to play college football first with the University of Michigan then UNC Charlotte.
It was Welschof’s time in North Carolina that helped forge a bond with another Charlotte alumni, fellow OLB Alex Highsmith. While the two never played together in Charlotte, the experience of playing for the same small school meant Welschof had a friendly face when he came to Pittsburgh.