Temple University Athletics
LB John Haley
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
John Haley: From Local 215 to Starter
10.19.09 | Football
Gameday Feature Story
by Cathy Bongiovi, Temple Athletic Communications
When John Haley packed his bags for Temple University in the fall of 2006, he didn't know what to expect.
The Chantilly, Va., native was a true freshman, arriving on the North Broad Street campus. He fell in love with the school on his recruiting visit. But the only familiar things to him now were his coaches-- Al Golden and Mark D'Onofrio-- who had built a relationship with the young linebacker during the recruiting process.
“John and I have a long history,” defensive coordinator D'Onofrio shared. “I started recruiting him as a junior in high school when I was at Virginia. I got him to come to football camp, and he did really, really well.”
Now Haley was a part of Golden's first recruiting class, arriving in Philadelphia as a member of the Local 215, Temple's newly established walk-on program.
“We didn't have a scholarship available at that time,” D'Onofrio continued, “but John thankfully chose to walk on. He's done a great job.”
It didn't take long for Haley to adjust to life as a college football player.
As a true freshman, he played in all 12 games with three starts, becoming one of 10 true freshmen to receive a starting nod. He made 26 tackles, four TFLs, two sacks, and forced a fumble. His hard work soon paid off; he was elevated to scholarship status.
“It was tough at first,” Haley recalled of his first season. “We had a tough schedule. We were all new here. A lot of people didn't know each other. We didn't know how each other played. But playing as a freshman really helped me develop a work ethic.”
Temple's lone win that season-- a 28-14 victory over Bowling Green-- was sweet.
“We had lost a lot of games, and that was a really big start,” Haley said. “It gave us confidence to play better.”
Each season the Owls have gotten better. During his sophomore season, the Owls racked up four wins. Haley started all 12 games, and had a big game against Navy. He recovered a fumble and returned it 25 yards while making a season-high seven tackles.
Last fall, TU won five games and finished tied for second in the MAC East. Once again, Haley played in all 12 games with three starts. He finished fourth with 68 tackles, including 43 solo takedowns, 4.0 TFL, three sacks, two break-ups, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Against Connecticut, Haley led all defenders with a career-high 15 tackles, including a career-best nine solo takedowns. He was named a game captain for the Miami (Ohio) game.
“I often say, 'what would we have done without John?' because he's been so versatile,” D'Onofrio said. “He's played all three (linebacker) positions. He's played both positions on our nickel package on third down. He's played special teams. He's really been invaluable. He has a really good knowledge of the defense, and he we can plug him in at any spot. He's really done a tremendous job, and he's gotten better every year.”
As a senior, Haley has started every game this fall. He has 20 tackles, an interception, and a sack…so far.
While he has already been through the trenches and knows what it takes to succeed, Haley has a piece of advice for his much younger teammates.
“Just keep the focus on the process,” he said. “Don't get too down on a loss or too high on a win. Just focus and be your best at all times.”
When his football career is over, the political science major hopes to trade in his pads and cleats for a pin-striped suit.
“I plan to go to law school whenever I'm done, however long my career lasts,” Haley said. “I'd like to practice entertainment or corporate law.”
Until then, Haley and his teammates have a lot of work to do.
When John Haley packed his bags for Temple University in the fall of 2006, he didn't know what to expect.
The Chantilly, Va., native was a true freshman, arriving on the North Broad Street campus. He fell in love with the school on his recruiting visit. But the only familiar things to him now were his coaches-- Al Golden and Mark D'Onofrio-- who had built a relationship with the young linebacker during the recruiting process.
“John and I have a long history,” defensive coordinator D'Onofrio shared. “I started recruiting him as a junior in high school when I was at Virginia. I got him to come to football camp, and he did really, really well.”
Now Haley was a part of Golden's first recruiting class, arriving in Philadelphia as a member of the Local 215, Temple's newly established walk-on program.
“We didn't have a scholarship available at that time,” D'Onofrio continued, “but John thankfully chose to walk on. He's done a great job.”
It didn't take long for Haley to adjust to life as a college football player.
As a true freshman, he played in all 12 games with three starts, becoming one of 10 true freshmen to receive a starting nod. He made 26 tackles, four TFLs, two sacks, and forced a fumble. His hard work soon paid off; he was elevated to scholarship status.
“It was tough at first,” Haley recalled of his first season. “We had a tough schedule. We were all new here. A lot of people didn't know each other. We didn't know how each other played. But playing as a freshman really helped me develop a work ethic.”
Temple's lone win that season-- a 28-14 victory over Bowling Green-- was sweet.
“We had lost a lot of games, and that was a really big start,” Haley said. “It gave us confidence to play better.”
Each season the Owls have gotten better. During his sophomore season, the Owls racked up four wins. Haley started all 12 games, and had a big game against Navy. He recovered a fumble and returned it 25 yards while making a season-high seven tackles.
Last fall, TU won five games and finished tied for second in the MAC East. Once again, Haley played in all 12 games with three starts. He finished fourth with 68 tackles, including 43 solo takedowns, 4.0 TFL, three sacks, two break-ups, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Against Connecticut, Haley led all defenders with a career-high 15 tackles, including a career-best nine solo takedowns. He was named a game captain for the Miami (Ohio) game.
“I often say, 'what would we have done without John?' because he's been so versatile,” D'Onofrio said. “He's played all three (linebacker) positions. He's played both positions on our nickel package on third down. He's played special teams. He's really been invaluable. He has a really good knowledge of the defense, and he we can plug him in at any spot. He's really done a tremendous job, and he's gotten better every year.”
As a senior, Haley has started every game this fall. He has 20 tackles, an interception, and a sack…so far.
While he has already been through the trenches and knows what it takes to succeed, Haley has a piece of advice for his much younger teammates.
“Just keep the focus on the process,” he said. “Don't get too down on a loss or too high on a win. Just focus and be your best at all times.”
When his football career is over, the political science major hopes to trade in his pads and cleats for a pin-striped suit.
“I plan to go to law school whenever I'm done, however long my career lasts,” Haley said. “I'd like to practice entertainment or corporate law.”
Until then, Haley and his teammates have a lot of work to do.
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