Temple Owls football
Encyclopedia
The Temple Owls
football team participates in the NCAA
's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference
(MAC). Temple is a football-only affiliate of the MAC because their primary conference, the Atlantic Ten Conference
, does not currently sponsor a football league (although during the time the A-10 did sponsor football, it was in the Division 1 Championship Subdivision, and Temple's program has always been in D-I football). The Owls were a football-only member of the Big East Conference
from 1991 until 2004. Temple was forced out of the league due to poor attendance averages, non-competitiveness, and a lack of commitment to the football program from university officials. Temple played the 2005 and 2006 seasons as an independent before joining the MAC in 2007 where they currently reside.
Although Temple began playing organized football in 1894, the Owls' modern era began in 1925. That was the year that Henry J. "Heinie" Miller was hired as head coach, and for a time, the Owls were a regional power. To start the 1928 season, the Owls moved to Temple Stadium
. Miller coached eight seasons and compiled a 50-15-8 record.
. Warner had spent the previous 19 years at Pittsburgh
and Stanford
, winning three national championships. He ended his career at Temple, going 31-18-2 in six seasons. In 1934, the Owls went 7-0-2 in the regular season and were invited to play in the inaugural Sugar Bowl
on New Year's Day, 1935, where they lost to Tulane
, 20-14.
, who coached six years at Navy
, Temple was up to the challenge. Hardin led the Owls to an 80-52-3 record over 12 years.
Temple went 9-1 in 1973 and 8-2 in 1974 and won 14 straight games at one point. Temple played regular season games in Japan's Mirage Bowl
twice, losing 35-32 to Grambling
in 1977 and beating Boston College
28-24 in 1978.
In 1979, the Owls had a 10-2 record and the most wins in school history. The Owls opened the season with a 38-16 win at West Virginia
and later beat Rutgers
(41-20) and Syracuse
(49-17). Temple's only losses during the regular season were to nationally ranked Pittsburgh
(10-9) and Penn State
(22-7). In the game at Penn State, before a record-setting crowd, the Owls led 7-6 at the half. Following the 1979 season, the Owls defeated California
28-17 in the second Garden State Bowl
. The crowd who witnessed Temple beat California (55,952) was the largest in the short history of that Bowl.
Under Hardin, the Owls were one of the more stable Eastern football powers and often defeated local rivals West Virginia, Rutgers and Syracuse. In the 1970s, Temple went 4-4 against West Virginia, 2-1 against Rutgers, 1-1 against Syracuse, 4-1-1 against Cincinnati
and 2-0 against Connecticut
.
- then 30 years old - to succeed him. Arians had some success, beating Pitt three times in his six years on the job. Arians had two winning seasons, going 6-5 in 1984 when the defense was ranked 21st in the nation beating East Carolina, Pitt, and West Virginia and 6-5 1986. Unfortunately, Temple's six wins in 1986 were later forfeited because the Owls' roster included an ineligible player.
, who took over for Arians in 1989, led Temple to their last winning season for almost twenty years in 1990, when the Owls went 7-4. Temple joined the Big East Conference
in 1991, but had difficulty competing against teams with better facilities and bigger budgets. The Owls would not win a conference game until 1995, and would only win 16 conference games during their 14-year run in the league. Temple won as many as three league games only once (1997: 3-8, 3-4 Big East) and went winless in league play six times. Overall, they had a 14-80 record against Big East foes.
Berndt (11-33), Ron Dickerson (1993-97: 8-47) and Bobby Wallace
(1998-2005: 19-71) were unable to halt the decline. Temple went 0-11 in Wallace's final year. In part due to the Owls' noncompetitiveness, poor fan support, and lack of institutional support, the Big East voted to expel the Owls at the end of the 2004 season.
under Al Groh
, was named the new head coach
. The Owls lost their first 8 games under Golden before beating Bowling Green during their Homecoming game on October 28, 2006. The win snapped a 20-game losing streak, one game short of the school record. The Owls finished 1-11 in Golden's first year. The Owls won 4 games in 2007, including three straight wins at one point in mid-season. During Golden's second season, Temple's defense was ranked 49th in the nation, as opposed to 118th in 2006. The offense also improved from 118th to 113th, but it was clear that Temple's defense, despite their incredible youth, was the heart of their team. The Owls won 5 games in 2008, their most since 1990. After his fourth season, Golden's record stood at 19-29. In 2009, the Owls went 9-4, their best record since 1979 with three of four losses being competitive, the lone exception being a 31-6 loss to a Penn State team that finished 11-2 and ranked #8. Temple accepted a bid to play in the EagleBank Bowl, where they faced the UCLA Bruins
, which was the Owls' first post-season appearance since the 1979 Garden State Bowl
. The Owls fell to the Bruins, 30-21. In 2010, the Owls lost a crucial game to Ohio University which would have given them a potential MAC championship. The week after, Temple would lose to Miami-Ohio, and including losses to rival Penn State and Northern Illinois, the Owls finished at 8-4 for the season. On December 12, 2010, Al Golden was hired as the head coach of the University of Miami.
, former two-year offensive coordinator at the University of Florida
, to the Temple community.
. In 1978, they moved to Veterans Stadium
. During the 1986 season, the Owls averaged an all-time high of 34,543 fans to their games at Veterans Stadium
and their games, regularly televised, did well in the local Nielsen ratings. Veterans Stadium remained their home field through the 2002 season. Lincoln Financial Field
has been Temple's home field since 2003, with the first home game being the inaugural college game at Lincoln Financial Field between Temple and Villanova, which drew over 30,000 fans.
The most attended Temple game, with 105,950 attendees, occurred November 11, 2006 at Beaver Stadium
, home of Penn State
. Temple lost that game 47-0. Nine out of the ten most attended Temple games occurred at Penn State.
The largest attended home game was November 10, 2007, at Lincoln Financial Field, when the Owls played host to the Penn State Nittany Lions, which had an attendance of 69,029. Temple lost the game 31-0.
1210 (AM), in Philadelphia. Harry Donahue handles the play-by-play with former Temple Owl Steve Joachim doing the color. WHAT 1340 AM also carries the games. Past play-by-play broadcasters have included Dave Sims, who currently covers college football and basketball for ESPN; Ron Menchine, the former Navy play-by-play announcer and Howie Herman, currently a sports columnist in Massachusetts.
Temple Owls
Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a very long-running athletic program. The school's sports teams are called the Owls, originating from the university's early days as a night school. The current athletic director is Bill Bradshaw....
football team participates in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
(MAC). Temple is a football-only affiliate of the MAC because their primary conference, the Atlantic Ten Conference
Atlantic Ten Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference is a college athletic conference which operates mostly on the United States' eastern seaboard. It also has two member schools in Ohio: Dayton and Xavier, located in Dayton and Cincinnati, respectively. Another member, Saint Louis is located in St. Louis, Missouri...
, does not currently sponsor a football league (although during the time the A-10 did sponsor football, it was in the Division 1 Championship Subdivision, and Temple's program has always been in D-I football). The Owls were a football-only member of the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
from 1991 until 2004. Temple was forced out of the league due to poor attendance averages, non-competitiveness, and a lack of commitment to the football program from university officials. Temple played the 2005 and 2006 seasons as an independent before joining the MAC in 2007 where they currently reside.
Although Temple began playing organized football in 1894, the Owls' modern era began in 1925. That was the year that Henry J. "Heinie" Miller was hired as head coach, and for a time, the Owls were a regional power. To start the 1928 season, the Owls moved to Temple Stadium
Temple Stadium
Temple Stadium was a stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1928 and hosted the Temple University Owls football team until they moved to Veterans Stadium in 1978....
. Miller coached eight seasons and compiled a 50-15-8 record.
Pop Warner Era
Following Miller's departure in 1933, the Owls made a national splash with the hiring of their next coach, the legendary Glenn "Pop" WarnerGlenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
. Warner had spent the previous 19 years at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
and Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
, winning three national championships. He ended his career at Temple, going 31-18-2 in six seasons. In 1934, the Owls went 7-0-2 in the regular season and were invited to play in the inaugural Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
on New Year's Day, 1935, where they lost to Tulane
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
, 20-14.
George Makris Era
From the time Warner retired at the end of the 1938 season until 1963, the Owls experienced only 4 winning seasons. The team reached a nadir in the late 1950s, enduring a school record 21-game losing streak from the last four games of the 1957 season and through the entire 1958 and 1959 seasons. George Makris arrived as head coach to start the 1960 season and won his first game. Makris restored competitiveness to the Owl program, compiling a 10-year record of 45-44-4. Makris' tenure coincided with Temple's 10 years in the University Division of the Middle Atlantic Conference.Wayne Hardin Era
After the 1969 season, the Owls became an independent again to upgrade their schedule and compete against the top teams in the East. Under new coach Wayne HardinWayne Hardin
Irving Wayne Hardin is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Naval Academy from 1959 to 1964 and at Temple University from 1970 to 1982, compiling a career college football record 118–74–5...
, who coached six years at Navy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, Temple was up to the challenge. Hardin led the Owls to an 80-52-3 record over 12 years.
Temple went 9-1 in 1973 and 8-2 in 1974 and won 14 straight games at one point. Temple played regular season games in Japan's Mirage Bowl
Mirage bowl
Mirage bowl may refer to:*Mirage Bowl, a series of annual college football games played in Tokyo, Japan, later renamed the Mirage Bowl *An optical illusion device using a parabolic reflector...
twice, losing 35-32 to Grambling
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
in 1977 and beating Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
28-24 in 1978.
In 1979, the Owls had a 10-2 record and the most wins in school history. The Owls opened the season with a 38-16 win at West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
and later beat Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
(41-20) and Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
(49-17). Temple's only losses during the regular season were to nationally ranked Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
(10-9) and Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
(22-7). In the game at Penn State, before a record-setting crowd, the Owls led 7-6 at the half. Following the 1979 season, the Owls defeated California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
28-17 in the second Garden State Bowl
Garden State Bowl
The Garden State Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from 1978 to 1981...
. The crowd who witnessed Temple beat California (55,952) was the largest in the short history of that Bowl.
Under Hardin, the Owls were one of the more stable Eastern football powers and often defeated local rivals West Virginia, Rutgers and Syracuse. In the 1970s, Temple went 4-4 against West Virginia, 2-1 against Rutgers, 1-1 against Syracuse, 4-1-1 against Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
and 2-0 against Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies football
The Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transition period in 2000, and...
.
Bruce Arians Era
When Hardin retired in 1982, the Owls hired Bruce AriansBruce Arians
Bruce Arians is the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to holding this position, Arians served as the wide receivers coach for the Steelers, a position that he held with the team since the 2004 season...
- then 30 years old - to succeed him. Arians had some success, beating Pitt three times in his six years on the job. Arians had two winning seasons, going 6-5 in 1984 when the defense was ranked 21st in the nation beating East Carolina, Pitt, and West Virginia and 6-5 1986. Unfortunately, Temple's six wins in 1986 were later forfeited because the Owls' roster included an ineligible player.
Decline
Jerry BerndtJerry Berndt
Jerry Berndt was a college football coach at DePauw University, Penn, Rice, and Temple. In two years at DePauw , Berndt guided the Division III Tigers to a 9-9-1 mark, including a 7-2-1 mark in his second season. From 1981 to 1985, he coached at Penn, and compiled a 29-18-2 record...
, who took over for Arians in 1989, led Temple to their last winning season for almost twenty years in 1990, when the Owls went 7-4. Temple joined the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
in 1991, but had difficulty competing against teams with better facilities and bigger budgets. The Owls would not win a conference game until 1995, and would only win 16 conference games during their 14-year run in the league. Temple won as many as three league games only once (1997: 3-8, 3-4 Big East) and went winless in league play six times. Overall, they had a 14-80 record against Big East foes.
Berndt (11-33), Ron Dickerson (1993-97: 8-47) and Bobby Wallace
Bobby Wallace (football coach)
Bobby Wallace is a former college football coach. During his time as a head coach he served at North Alabama, Temple and West Alabama...
(1998-2005: 19-71) were unable to halt the decline. Temple went 0-11 in Wallace's final year. In part due to the Owls' noncompetitiveness, poor fan support, and lack of institutional support, the Big East voted to expel the Owls at the end of the 2004 season.
Al Golden Era
On December 6, 2005, Al Golden, then the defensive coordinator for the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
under Al Groh
Al Groh
Al Groh is the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. He is also a former head coach of the University of Virginia football team, a former head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team and the former head coach of the New York Jets of the NFL...
, was named the new head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
. The Owls lost their first 8 games under Golden before beating Bowling Green during their Homecoming game on October 28, 2006. The win snapped a 20-game losing streak, one game short of the school record. The Owls finished 1-11 in Golden's first year. The Owls won 4 games in 2007, including three straight wins at one point in mid-season. During Golden's second season, Temple's defense was ranked 49th in the nation, as opposed to 118th in 2006. The offense also improved from 118th to 113th, but it was clear that Temple's defense, despite their incredible youth, was the heart of their team. The Owls won 5 games in 2008, their most since 1990. After his fourth season, Golden's record stood at 19-29. In 2009, the Owls went 9-4, their best record since 1979 with three of four losses being competitive, the lone exception being a 31-6 loss to a Penn State team that finished 11-2 and ranked #8. Temple accepted a bid to play in the EagleBank Bowl, where they faced the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, which was the Owls' first post-season appearance since the 1979 Garden State Bowl
Garden State Bowl
The Garden State Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from 1978 to 1981...
. The Owls fell to the Bruins, 30-21. In 2010, the Owls lost a crucial game to Ohio University which would have given them a potential MAC championship. The week after, Temple would lose to Miami-Ohio, and including losses to rival Penn State and Northern Illinois, the Owls finished at 8-4 for the season. On December 12, 2010, Al Golden was hired as the head coach of the University of Miami.
Steve Addazio Era
On December 23, 2010, a press conference was held on campus to formally introduce Steve AddazioSteve Addazio
Steve Addazio is an American college football coach and former player, and is head coach of the Temple Owls football team that represents Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, former two-year offensive coordinator at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, to the Temple community.
Awards
- Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
- Steve JoachimSteve JoachimSteve Joachim was an American football player. He won the 1974 Maxwell Award and would play professionally with the New York Jets. He grew up in Havertown, PA and played High School Football at Haverford High School....
- 1974
- Steve Joachim
- Mid-American ConferenceMid-American ConferenceThe Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
Coach of the Year- Al Golden - 2009
- Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year
- Bernard PierceBernard PierceBernard Pierce is an American football running back with the Temple Owls football team.-2009:In 2009, Pierce won the Mid-American Conference freshman of the year award after rushing for 1,361 yards and 16 touchdowns.-2010:...
- 2009
- Bernard Pierce
Owls in pro football
Zachary Dixon- Andre NeblettAndre NeblettAndre Neblett is an American football defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2010...
- Terrance KnightonTerrance Knighton-Jacksonville Jaguars:Knighton was signed by the Jaguars to a four-year contract on July 31, 2009. His contract, which includes veteran minimum salaries, plus a fourth-year escalator to $1.3 million, could reach nearly $3.32 million. He also received a signing bonus of $843,500. Knighton was...
- Brian Sanford
- Joe KleckoJoe KleckoJoseph Edward Klecko is a former American football player as a defensive lineman best remembered for his days as a member of the New York Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange."-Temple University Owls:...
- Al SingletonAl SingletonAlshermond Glendale Singleton is an American football linebacker in the National Football League. He played college football at Temple University and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he played for six seasons...
- Rian WallaceRian WallaceRian Wallace is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
- Wayne ColmanWayne ColmanWayne Charles Colman is a former American football linebacker who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Temple University....
- Keith ArmstrongKeith Armstrong (American football)Keith Armstrong is an American football special teams coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. Armstrong has over a decade of professional coaching experience...
- Lance JohnstoneLance JohnstoneLance Johnstone is a former American football defensive end. He was a four-year letterman for Temple University, playing his final three seasons at linebacker and serving as team captain in 1994 and 1995...
- Steve WatsonSteve Watson (American football)Steve Ross Watson is a former American football wide receiver and current wide receivers coach.After high school at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Delaware, Watson attended Temple University and entered the National Football League as an undrafted free agent in 1979...
- Leslie ShepherdLeslie ShepherdLeslie Glenard Shepherd is a former professional American football player in the National Football League. He played seven years, the first five with the Washington Redskins, and one apiece for the Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins...
- Nick Mike-MayerNick Mike-MayerNicholas "Nick" Mike-Mayer is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League from 1973-1982 for the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Buffalo Bills. Nick made the Pro Bowl in his rookie year. He later played with the San Antonio Gunslingers of the United States...
- Mike CurcioMike Curcio-Career:Curcio was drafted in the eighth round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and would later play two seasons with the team. During the 1983 NFL season, he played with the Green Bay Packers.He played at the collegiate level at Temple University....
- Randy GrossmanRandy GrossmanCurt Randy Grossman is a former professional American football player who played tight end for eight seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League.-Early life:...
- Antwon BurtonAntwon BurtonAntwon Burton is an American football defensive tackle for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Temple.Burton has also been a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City...
- Raheem BrockRaheem BrockRaheem Fukwan Brock is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
- Dan KleckoDan KleckoDan Klecko is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Temple....
- John RienstraJohn RienstraJohn Rienstra is a former guard who played seven professional seasons for the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns. Rienstra attended Temple University....
- Jim CooperJim Cooper (football player)James Albert Cooper is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1977 through 1986. He played college football at Temple University...
- James ParrishJames ParrishJames Herbert Parrish, Jr. was a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League and a member of the Super Bowl XXVIII champion Dallas Cowboys....
- James HarrisJames HarrisJames Harris is the name of:*James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury , English diplomatist*James Harris, 2nd Earl of Malmesbury , British peer*James Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury , British statesman...
- Tim TerryTim TerryTimothy L. Terry is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for four seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks. He is currently an Assistant Director of Pro Personnel for the Green Bay Packers. He won the 1999 Grey Cup with the Hamilton...
- Larry ChesterLarry ChesterLarry Travis Chester is a former American football defensive tackle of the National Football League. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 1998. He played college football at Temple....
- Tre Johnson
- Todd BowlesTodd BowlesTodd Robert Bowles is a retired American football safety who played eight seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the Washington Redskins. He started in Super Bowl XXII....
- Anthony YoungAnthony Young (football player)Anthony Ricardo Young is a former professional American football safety in the National Football League. The 5'11" and 187 pound defensive back was a 3rd round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1985 NFL Draft out of Temple University...
- Kevin Ross
- Paul PalmerPaul Palmer (American football)Paul Woodrow Palmer is a former professional American football running back. He played in the National Football League for three seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Detroit Lions, and the Dallas Cowboys. He was the runner-up to Vinny Testaverde for the 1986 Heisman Trophy and holds rushing...
- Stacey MackStacey MackStacey Lamar Mack is a former American football running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans of the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Temple University by the Jaguars in 1999. Stacey was also a star running back for the Mississippi Junior College Southwest...
- Todd McNairTodd McNairTodd Darren McNair is a former professional football player and coach. McNair was the running backs coach and special teams coordinator for the USC Trojans football team, where he was also a recruiter. McNair has received publicity related to NCAA sanctions imposed on the USC football team for his...
- Anthony AndersonAnthony Anderson (football player)Anthony Eugene Anderson is a retired professional American football running back. He played for two seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons. As a rookie, he won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XIV...
- Henry BurrisHenry BurrisHenry Burris, Jr. is a professional Canadian and former American football player. Burris plays the quarterback position with the Canadian Football League Calgary Stampeders. Burris spent one year as a reserve quarterback for the National Football League's Chicago Bears...
- Jason McKieJason McKieJason A. McKie is an American football fullback who currently a free agent. He was signed as a undrafted free agent out of Temple University by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002....
- Steve ManeriSteve ManeriSteve Maneri is an American football offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2010...
- Muhammad WilkersonMuhammad WilkersonMuhammad Wilkerson is an American football defensive end for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Temple.-Early years:...
- Jaiquawn JarrettJaiquawn Jarrett-Philadelphia Eagles:Jarrett was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He was signed to a four-year contract on July 27, 2011.-External links:**...
Home Stadium
From 1927 until 1977, the Owls played at Temple StadiumTemple Stadium
Temple Stadium was a stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1928 and hosted the Temple University Owls football team until they moved to Veterans Stadium in 1978....
. In 1978, they moved to Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. During the 1986 season, the Owls averaged an all-time high of 34,543 fans to their games at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
and their games, regularly televised, did well in the local Nielsen ratings. Veterans Stadium remained their home field through the 2002 season. Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
has been Temple's home field since 2003, with the first home game being the inaugural college game at Lincoln Financial Field between Temple and Villanova, which drew over 30,000 fans.
The most attended Temple game, with 105,950 attendees, occurred November 11, 2006 at Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, on the campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference. The stadium is named for James A...
, home of Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
. Temple lost that game 47-0. Nine out of the ten most attended Temple games occurred at Penn State.
The largest attended home game was November 10, 2007, at Lincoln Financial Field, when the Owls played host to the Penn State Nittany Lions, which had an attendance of 69,029. Temple lost the game 31-0.
Media coverage
Eight Temple games were broadcast over Philadelphia television in 2005, the most in school history. The Temple radio network, which once included 12 stations from as far north as Sayre, PA to as far south as Baltimore, MD, is now down to one flagship station, WPHTWPHT
WPHT is a CBS Radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1210 kHz. A 50,000-watt clear-channel station, it broadcasts in an omnidirectional pattern that allows it to cover most of the eastern half of North America at night. It uses the nickname "Talk Radio 1210 WPHT." The...
1210 (AM), in Philadelphia. Harry Donahue handles the play-by-play with former Temple Owl Steve Joachim doing the color. WHAT 1340 AM also carries the games. Past play-by-play broadcasters have included Dave Sims, who currently covers college football and basketball for ESPN; Ron Menchine, the former Navy play-by-play announcer and Howie Herman, currently a sports columnist in Massachusetts.
In the Polls
In the 1979 season, Temple finished 10-2 and ranked #17 in both the coaches and AP poll, their only post-season ranking ever.College Football Hall of Fame
- Glenn WarnerGlenn Scobey WarnerGlenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
- coach - Ray MorrisonRay MorrisonJ. Ray Morrison was an American football and baseball player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball in the United States...
- coach
External links
- http://temple.rivals.com
- http://owlsports.com
- http://temple.scout.com
- http://www.owlstix.com