Temple University Athletics
NEW ENGLAND SELECTS TEMPLE'S DAN KLECKO IN 4TH ROUND OF NFL DRAFT
4.27.03 | Football
Klecko (6-0, 285), a two-time unanimous All-Big East selection, concluded his Temple career this past fall by being named the 2002 Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a Second Team Associated Press All-American. He led the league in both sacks (10/0.91 per game) and tackles-for-loss (22.5/2.05 per game) to rank 13th and fourth nationally, respectively, in those categories.
Once again, Klecko follows in the footsteps of his father, Joe, who played defensive tackle at Temple from 1973-76 and was twice cited as an AP Honorable Mention All-American. Joe was selected in the sixth round of the 1977 draft by the New York Jets and went on to play 12 season in the NFL with the Jets (1977-87) and Indianapolis Colts (1988). He earned four trips to the Pro Bowl and is the only player in history to be named to the Pro Bowl at three different positions.
Klecko arrived in Owl Country as a true freshman in 1999 and promptly became a First Team Freshman All-American. Temple, under the direction of Head Coach Bobby Wallace, was the only Division I-A program to offer him a scholarship out of Marlboro (N.J.) High School. Amazingly enough, Klecko did not play organized football until he was a freshman Great Valley (Pa.) High School (before transferring to Marlboro).
