Detroit native Andre Seldon home for Christmas as Aggies arrive for bowl game
LAS CRUCES - When New Mexico State takes the field in Detroit for a bowl game this week, it won't be the first time Aggies defensive back Andre Seldon will have played at Ford Field.
Seldon, a native of nearby Belleville, Michigan, won youth football championship games at Ford Field at the age of 9 years old, then again at ages 12, 13 and 14.
"We are winners and my son has always won," said Seldon's father, Andre Seldon Sr., who will be at Ford Field when the Aggies take on Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday at 12:30 p.m., on ESPN. "I always felt that he would get to a bowl. But as far as playing here (in Detroit), I was getting ready to go to Alabama or Texas. Detroit was kind of farfetched. It was kind of fluky, but everyone gets to see him so it's pretty exciting he's coming back home and playing."
Andre Sr. will be among a group of 50 to 100 in attendance to cheer on Andre Jr., who is in his first year at NM State after transferring from Michigan.
More:Three things to know on Bowling Green entering the Quick Lane Bowl
"There are at least 50 people probably and people I don't even know," Seldon Jr. said. "All of my coaches who developed who I am and teammates and a lot of people who helped me get here will be there."
After reaching the state semifinals twice in three years at Belleville High School, Seldon Jr. signed with Michigan as a four-star prospect.
Among the coaches who recruited Seldon throughout the process was Aggies safeties coach Melvin Rice while Rice was at Northern Illinois.
Seldon was a late addition to the transfer portal after one season, but he still had interest from Penn State, most Mid-American Conference schools and Arizona State. But Seldon Sr. also reached out to Rice once again.
"I had reached out once he entered the portal and when we got to officially talk and when (head coach Jerry Kill) was hired, it was icing on the cake," Seldon Sr. said. "My wife and I were in Las Vegas and ended up talking to Coach Kill and he told me how he coached in Michigan at one of the smaller colleges out here. He seemed like a genuine guy and I remembered him from when he was at Minnesota."
Seldon Sr. drove his son across the country last summer and he was able to travel to Las Cruces to see the Aggies' season-opener against Nevada. But this weekend is the first time Seldon has been home since May.
"We never missed a game since he's been playing so it was kind of tough, but he really wanted to go (to New Mexico State)," Seldon Sr. said. "As long as I went to the first game, I was cool. I drove him down there on my birthday weekend in June and it took us two days to get there."
Seldon, who measures at 5-foot-8, has thrived at the nickel position in the Aggies defense that ranks No. 14 in FBS, proving he made the right choice to leave his home state for more playing time.
"A good feel for the coaches is important to him and the Michigan coaches were awesome, but basically he wanted an opportunity where people were not looking at his height," Seldon Sr. said. "He has been smaller his whole life and went up against everyone you can imagine in different camps and would lock them up."
While diehard Aggies fans know how rare bowl appearances have been with the school set to play in just its fifth-ever bowl game, Seldon Sr. knew the team would have a chance after looking at the schedule.
Seldon Jr. and a group of transfers and veterans made it happen on the field and earned him a trip home for the holiday.
"The stadium is 10 or 15 minutes from my home," Seldon Jr. said. "I'm just grateful how it has happened coming from Michigan it just felt like everything was meant to be.
"When we got here, we knew we had talent here. We just had to piece it together."
Watch/listen to the game
The Quick Lane Bowl is being played Monday, Dec. 26, at Ford Field in Detroit. Kickoff will be at 12:30 p.m. Mountain Time and it will be broadcast on ESPN.
New Mexico State (6-6) plays Bowling Green (6-6)
The NM State official watch party in Las Cruces will be at Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q, 1020 N. Telshor Blvd.
The game will also be shown at the Cineport 10 movie theater inside Mesilla Valley Mall, 700 S. Telshor Blvd. There is no cost to see the game inside the theater but seating is limited.
Listen to the game on 99.5-FM
Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459 or jgroves@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Detroit native Andre Seldon home for Christmas as New Mexico State Aggies arrive for Quick Lane Bowl game
