Temple University Athletics
Matt Brown & Tyler Matakevich
Six Temple Owls Earn All-BIG EAST Honors; Brown & Matakevich Named Players of the Year
12.6.12 | Football
PROVIDENCE – Six Temple football players earned 2012 All-BIG EAST honors, including senior Matt Brown (Baltimore, Md.) who was named the Special Teams Player of the Year, and true freshman LB Tyler Matakevich (Stratford, Conn.) who took home Rookie of the Year honors. The recipients were selected by the league's eight head coaches.
Earning first team All-Conference honors were senior RB Montel Harris (Jacksonville, Fla.), Brown at return specialist, and senior Brandon McManus (Hatfield, Pa.) at punter.
Second-team accolades went to senior OL Martin Wallace (New York, N.Y.), McManus at placekicker, senior DL John Youboty (Houston, Texas), and Matakevich.
The six honorees at seven positions are the most in Temple's 15-year BIG EAST history (previous high was four honorees in 1991). The player of the year honors are the first in school history for the Owls.
Temple (4-7 overall, 2-5 BIG EAST) returned to BIG EAST Conference play in football in 2012 for the first time since 2004. The Owls' other sports begin BIG EAST play during the 2013-14 academic year, marking the first time in school history that all TU sports will play in one conference.
Temple football opens the 2013 season on August 31 at No. 1 Notre Dame.
* * *
Brown played in 10 games with three starts at tailback while handling all return duties this fall. He finished his collegiate career ranked No. 2 in all-purpose yardage (5,272), No. 3 in rushing touchdowns (22), and No. 4 in 100-yard rushing performances (10). In 2012, Brown set the season record for punt return average (14.2) and at No. 12/10 Louisville he set the school record for kickoff return yards (227). Brown finished third in rushing with 372 yards and four touchdowns on 60 carries. He led the Owls with 241 yards on 17 punt returns and 790 yards and a touchdown on 31 kickoff returns. Despite missing two games due to injury, Brown finished as the BIG EAST leader in all-purpose yards, averaging 143.4 yards per game.
Matakevich played in all 11 games, starting eight games at Mike linebacker. One of just four true freshmen to earn a starting role for the Owls, Matakevich became the first freshman in school history to record 100 tackles. He led the Temple defense in his inaugural campaign with 101 tackles, including 67 solo stops, three TFL, three break-ups, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble.
Preseason All-American Harris led the nation with 27 career 100-yard rushing games, including five with TU this fall. He led Temple and the BIG EAST in rushing with 1,054 yards and 12 touchdowns on 196 carries on the season. Harris rushed for career highs of 351 yards and seven touchdowns (both school records and BIG EAST records) at Army.
McManus ended his collegiate career as Temple's career leader in scoring (338), punting average (45.4), field goals made (60), and field goals attempted (83). In 2012, he set the season record for field goal accuracy (82.4) and set game records at Army for extra points made (9) and attempted (9). McManus played in EVERY game of his collegiate career. In 2012, McManus led the Owls in scoring (74) and went 32-of-33 in PAT. He punted 54 times for 2,433 yards (45.1 average), including a career-long 68-yard punt against Rutgers, and 15 punts longer than 50 yards. McManus was named to the 2012 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Wallace started all 11 games at right tackle. The team captain was the only returning starter to the O-Line this fall. He also played on the field goal unit. Wallace led the young O-Line in the win over Villanova with no sacks allowed.
Youboty started all 11 games at defensive end. He was one of just seven Owls to start every game and also played on the field goal defense unit. Youboty finished the season with 42 tackles, including 28 solo stops and 6.0 TFL, a team-best five sacks, two hurries, a forced fumble, and a break-up.
2012 All-BIG EAST Football Honors
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville (So., Miami, Fla.)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers (Sr., Elizabeth, N.J.)
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Matt Brown, RB, Temple (Sr., Baltimore, Md.)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple (Fr., Stratford, Conn.)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Charlie Strong, Louisville
Kyle Flood, Rutgers
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Pos. Player School
WR Alec Lemon * Syracuse
WR DeVante Parker Louisville
OT Eric Lefeld Cincinnati
OT Justin Pugh Syracuse
OG Austen Bujnoch Cincinnati
OG Antwan Lowery Rutgers
C Mario Benavides Louisville
TE Travis Kelce Cincinnati
QB Teddy Bridgewater Louisville
RB Ray Graham Pittsburgh
RB Montel Harris Temple
K Maikon Bonani USF
RS Matt Brown Temple
Defense
DL Dan Giordano Cincinnati
DL Trevardo Williams * Connecticut
DL Aaron Donald Pittsburgh
DL Scott Vallone Rutgers
LB Greg Blair Cincinnati
LB Sio Moore Connecticut
LB Yawin Smallwood Connecticut
LB Khaseem Greene * Rutgers
CB Adrian Bushell Louisville
CB Logan Ryan Rutgers
S Duron Harmon Rutgers
S Shamarko Thomas Syracuse
P Brandon McManus Temple
* unanimous selection
SECOND TEAM
Offense
WR Mike Shanahan Pittsburgh
WR Devin Street Pittsburgh
WR Brandon Coleman Rutgers
OT Alex Kupper Louisville
OT Kaleb Johnson Rutgers
OT Martin Wallace Temple
OG Adam Masters Connecticut
OG Mark Popek USF
C Ryan Turnley Pittsburgh
QB Ryan Nassib Syracuse
TE Ryan Griffin Connecticut
RB George Winn Cincinnati
RB Jawan Jamison Rutgers
K Brandon McManus Temple
RS Nick Williams Connecticut
Defense
DL Walter Stewart Cincinnati
DL Cory Grissom USF
DL Brandon Sharpe Syracuse
DL John Youboty Temple
LB Preston Brown Louisville
LB Sam Barrington USF
LB Tyler Matakevich Temple
CB Dwayne Gratz Connecticut
CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson Connecticut
S Calvin Pryor Louisville
S Hakeem Smith Louisville
S Jason Hendricks Pittsburgh
P Pat O'Donnell Cincinnati
P Justin Brockhaus-Kann USF
Additional players added to the All-BIG EAST teams due to ties in the voting
Earning first team All-Conference honors were senior RB Montel Harris (Jacksonville, Fla.), Brown at return specialist, and senior Brandon McManus (Hatfield, Pa.) at punter.
Second-team accolades went to senior OL Martin Wallace (New York, N.Y.), McManus at placekicker, senior DL John Youboty (Houston, Texas), and Matakevich.
The six honorees at seven positions are the most in Temple's 15-year BIG EAST history (previous high was four honorees in 1991). The player of the year honors are the first in school history for the Owls.
Temple (4-7 overall, 2-5 BIG EAST) returned to BIG EAST Conference play in football in 2012 for the first time since 2004. The Owls' other sports begin BIG EAST play during the 2013-14 academic year, marking the first time in school history that all TU sports will play in one conference.
Temple football opens the 2013 season on August 31 at No. 1 Notre Dame.
* * *
Brown played in 10 games with three starts at tailback while handling all return duties this fall. He finished his collegiate career ranked No. 2 in all-purpose yardage (5,272), No. 3 in rushing touchdowns (22), and No. 4 in 100-yard rushing performances (10). In 2012, Brown set the season record for punt return average (14.2) and at No. 12/10 Louisville he set the school record for kickoff return yards (227). Brown finished third in rushing with 372 yards and four touchdowns on 60 carries. He led the Owls with 241 yards on 17 punt returns and 790 yards and a touchdown on 31 kickoff returns. Despite missing two games due to injury, Brown finished as the BIG EAST leader in all-purpose yards, averaging 143.4 yards per game.
Matakevich played in all 11 games, starting eight games at Mike linebacker. One of just four true freshmen to earn a starting role for the Owls, Matakevich became the first freshman in school history to record 100 tackles. He led the Temple defense in his inaugural campaign with 101 tackles, including 67 solo stops, three TFL, three break-ups, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble.
Preseason All-American Harris led the nation with 27 career 100-yard rushing games, including five with TU this fall. He led Temple and the BIG EAST in rushing with 1,054 yards and 12 touchdowns on 196 carries on the season. Harris rushed for career highs of 351 yards and seven touchdowns (both school records and BIG EAST records) at Army.
McManus ended his collegiate career as Temple's career leader in scoring (338), punting average (45.4), field goals made (60), and field goals attempted (83). In 2012, he set the season record for field goal accuracy (82.4) and set game records at Army for extra points made (9) and attempted (9). McManus played in EVERY game of his collegiate career. In 2012, McManus led the Owls in scoring (74) and went 32-of-33 in PAT. He punted 54 times for 2,433 yards (45.1 average), including a career-long 68-yard punt against Rutgers, and 15 punts longer than 50 yards. McManus was named to the 2012 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Wallace started all 11 games at right tackle. The team captain was the only returning starter to the O-Line this fall. He also played on the field goal unit. Wallace led the young O-Line in the win over Villanova with no sacks allowed.
Youboty started all 11 games at defensive end. He was one of just seven Owls to start every game and also played on the field goal defense unit. Youboty finished the season with 42 tackles, including 28 solo stops and 6.0 TFL, a team-best five sacks, two hurries, a forced fumble, and a break-up.
2012 All-BIG EAST Football Honors
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville (So., Miami, Fla.)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers (Sr., Elizabeth, N.J.)
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Matt Brown, RB, Temple (Sr., Baltimore, Md.)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple (Fr., Stratford, Conn.)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Charlie Strong, Louisville
Kyle Flood, Rutgers
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Pos. Player School
WR Alec Lemon * Syracuse
WR DeVante Parker Louisville
OT Eric Lefeld Cincinnati
OT Justin Pugh Syracuse
OG Austen Bujnoch Cincinnati
OG Antwan Lowery Rutgers
C Mario Benavides Louisville
TE Travis Kelce Cincinnati
QB Teddy Bridgewater Louisville
RB Ray Graham Pittsburgh
RB Montel Harris Temple
K Maikon Bonani USF
RS Matt Brown Temple
Defense
DL Dan Giordano Cincinnati
DL Trevardo Williams * Connecticut
DL Aaron Donald Pittsburgh
DL Scott Vallone Rutgers
LB Greg Blair Cincinnati
LB Sio Moore Connecticut
LB Yawin Smallwood Connecticut
LB Khaseem Greene * Rutgers
CB Adrian Bushell Louisville
CB Logan Ryan Rutgers
S Duron Harmon Rutgers
S Shamarko Thomas Syracuse
P Brandon McManus Temple
* unanimous selection
SECOND TEAM
Offense
WR Mike Shanahan Pittsburgh
WR Devin Street Pittsburgh
WR Brandon Coleman Rutgers
OT Alex Kupper Louisville
OT Kaleb Johnson Rutgers
OT Martin Wallace Temple
OG Adam Masters Connecticut
OG Mark Popek USF
C Ryan Turnley Pittsburgh
QB Ryan Nassib Syracuse
TE Ryan Griffin Connecticut
RB George Winn Cincinnati
RB Jawan Jamison Rutgers
K Brandon McManus Temple
RS Nick Williams Connecticut
Defense
DL Walter Stewart Cincinnati
DL Cory Grissom USF
DL Brandon Sharpe Syracuse
DL John Youboty Temple
LB Preston Brown Louisville
LB Sam Barrington USF
LB Tyler Matakevich Temple
CB Dwayne Gratz Connecticut
CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson Connecticut
S Calvin Pryor Louisville
S Hakeem Smith Louisville
S Jason Hendricks Pittsburgh
P Pat O'Donnell Cincinnati
P Justin Brockhaus-Kann USF
Additional players added to the All-BIG EAST teams due to ties in the voting
Ep. 29: Last Episode of First Semester from David & Amelia
Wednesday, December 17
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Adam Fisher)
Sunday, December 14
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Derrian Ford & Gavin Griffiths)
Sunday, December 14
Ep. 28: Vice President/Debbie & Stanley Lefkowitz '65 Director of Athletics Arthur Johnson
Friday, December 12
