As a player, the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the third round of the 1987 MLB draft from San Jose State, where he was named an All-American.

He spent nine total seasons pitching mainly in relief for the Orioles, Montreal Expos, and Texas Rangers.

The Orioles selected Telford in the third round of the 1987 Major League Baseball Draft from San Jose State, where he had been named an All-American.

[2][3]) In his major league debut on August 19, 1990, he was credited as the winning pitcher in the Orioles' 3–2 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

[5] In January 2010, the Pittsburgh Pirates hired Telford into their newly created position of Personal Development Coordinator.