Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE FOOTBALL TO BEGIN SPRING PRACTICE
3.26.04 | Football
Temple enters its spring drills with 16 returning starters (7 offense, 9 defense) among 49 letterwinners (19 offense, 28 defense, 2 special teams). In total, 26 players that earned starting assignments last season return to North Broad Street.
Temple's spring roster lists 22 scholarship players that will be going through their first spring practice in Owl Country. Included in the group are five returning starters among eight returning letterwinners. Seven mid-year transfers are also in the mix.
The Owls signed 30 student-athletes to national letters of intent on Feb. 4. The class was comprised of 16 junior college players and 14 high school or prep entries. Five of the Owls' junior college signees earned All-America accolades from JC Grid-Wire, a publication that selects its honorees from all of the nation's 142 junior colleges that sponsor football (70 National Junior College Athletic Association; 72 Community College League of California ). Three of those honorees hail from the City College of San Francisco, the 2003 California Community College Champion and JC Grid-Wire Co-Junior College National Champion. In total, Temple signed five players from CCSF, a school that has won seven national titles and four over the past five years. In 2003, Temple had 18 first-year, junior college transfers on its roster.
"I think we went through a transition bringing in so many junior college players last season," said Wallace. "These student-athletes are now acclimated and an adjustment has taken place. I feel that the chemistry of the team is much better now than it was at any point last season. I do not believe our team chemistry was very good last year. When a player arrives in August it is difficult to make an immediate impact. Junior college players benefit greatly by going through the off-season workouts, summer and spring practice seasons.
"As such, I expect to see great improvement in the players we added last year," added Wallace. "It is not as much about learning the system as it is becoming comfortable in your surroundings and understanding your coaches. Learning X's and O's is obviously important, but having a greater understanding of the people and program is primary in establishing a team's identity."
Temple begins its 106th season of collegiate football by facing two Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. The Owls host Virginia in the season opener on Sept. 4 before travelling to College Park, Md. to face the Maryland Terrapins on Sept. 11. The Cherry & White hosts Florida A&M on Sept. 18 and takes flight for Toledo, Ohio to meet the Rockets on Sept. 25 before concluding its non-conference agenda at Lincoln Financial Field against Bowling Green on Oct. 2.
Temple begins the Big East portion of its schedule by hosting Pittsburgh on Oct. 9 before meeting Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. on Oct. 16 and Connecticut in East Hartford on Oct. 23. After a bye week, the Owls travel to Morgantown, W.Va. to play the Mountaineers prior to finishing their regular season with two home games, versus Syracuse on Nov. 13 and Boston College on Nov. 20.
