Temple University Athletics
News & Notes, 8/20
8.20.13 | Football
The Temple Owls continue to fill out their 1-9 roster. Upon returning to Temple University as the head coach this season, Matt Rhule asked his seniors what they would like to see for the football team. Among the suggestions was a return to the numbers 1-9 designation that was instituted by former head coach Al Golden.
"It's a rite of passage for those guys," said Temple head coach Matt Rhule last week. "It's something that they've earned. The coaches will pick about four or five players and we will let the players vote on the last three. We have a lot of deserving players."
The first was Levi Brown who changed from 99 to 9. Then Ryan Alderman (87 to 4) and Jalen Fitzpatrick (15 to 5) received the honor. Today another five joined the list. The only number left is 3 which Rhule said would be voted on tonight by the players.
1 – Sean Daniels (55)
2 – Anthony Robey (10)
3 - open
4 – Ryan Alderman (87)
5 – Jalen Fitzpatrick (15)
6 – Blaze Caponegro (33)
7 – John Christopher (81)
8 – Tyler Matakevich (32)
9 – Levi Brown (99)
Said Christopher: "It is a pretty big deal, it's an honor. I was not here when the tradition started, but from being here I know how much it means and I am going to represent it well…It makes all the hard work and effort I have put in worth it. It lets you know it's been noticed."
Said Daniels: "Your number is your identity so it might take awhile before I think of myself as anything but #55. I think this is a great honor to wear the single digits because of what it means here. It takes a tough player to play at Temple to begin with and to be considered one of the toughest to play here is something that is very special."
Said Matakevich: "It is definitely an honor, with the tradition of the top toughest guys on the team, and with Coach Rhule bringing it back, it is just a honor. All the older guys, such as DL Levi Brown, would always throughout the summer show us clips of how we need to be like the old defense that Temple has had. Guys like [Former Owls] S Jaiquawn Jarrett, LB Tahir Whitehead and DL Muhammad Wilkerson and how hard they played, that is how hard we have to play…Being in the same category as them is a honor and such a great feeling."
Said Robey: "It is definitely an honor. Coming in as a freshman and seeing the older guys, the seniors especially, wearing single digits it really meant something, and now that I have it, [the single digit jersey] really means something to me. It's a grind to get the single digits…We all recognize the significance of the single digits. We recognize Head Coach Matt Rhule implemented this back into the program, and we were in agreement with him."
Tomorrow night, Wed, Aug 21 at 7:30p EDT, 6:30p CDT, ESPNU will air a 30 minute special previewing the 2013 American Athletic Conference football season. The program will re-air later that night at 10:30p EDT, 9:30p CDT.
The talent will be ESPNU's lead anchor Dari Nowkhah and Tom Luginbill.
NBC Sports was at practice on Tuesday to film video head shots of a few players to be used during the telecast on Saturday, August 31, at Notre Dame.
"It's a rite of passage for those guys," said Temple head coach Matt Rhule last week. "It's something that they've earned. The coaches will pick about four or five players and we will let the players vote on the last three. We have a lot of deserving players."
The first was Levi Brown who changed from 99 to 9. Then Ryan Alderman (87 to 4) and Jalen Fitzpatrick (15 to 5) received the honor. Today another five joined the list. The only number left is 3 which Rhule said would be voted on tonight by the players.
1 – Sean Daniels (55)
2 – Anthony Robey (10)
3 - open
4 – Ryan Alderman (87)
5 – Jalen Fitzpatrick (15)
6 – Blaze Caponegro (33)
7 – John Christopher (81)
8 – Tyler Matakevich (32)
9 – Levi Brown (99)
Said Christopher: "It is a pretty big deal, it's an honor. I was not here when the tradition started, but from being here I know how much it means and I am going to represent it well…It makes all the hard work and effort I have put in worth it. It lets you know it's been noticed."
Said Daniels: "Your number is your identity so it might take awhile before I think of myself as anything but #55. I think this is a great honor to wear the single digits because of what it means here. It takes a tough player to play at Temple to begin with and to be considered one of the toughest to play here is something that is very special."
Said Matakevich: "It is definitely an honor, with the tradition of the top toughest guys on the team, and with Coach Rhule bringing it back, it is just a honor. All the older guys, such as DL Levi Brown, would always throughout the summer show us clips of how we need to be like the old defense that Temple has had. Guys like [Former Owls] S Jaiquawn Jarrett, LB Tahir Whitehead and DL Muhammad Wilkerson and how hard they played, that is how hard we have to play…Being in the same category as them is a honor and such a great feeling."
Said Robey: "It is definitely an honor. Coming in as a freshman and seeing the older guys, the seniors especially, wearing single digits it really meant something, and now that I have it, [the single digit jersey] really means something to me. It's a grind to get the single digits…We all recognize the significance of the single digits. We recognize Head Coach Matt Rhule implemented this back into the program, and we were in agreement with him."
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Tomorrow night, Wed, Aug 21 at 7:30p EDT, 6:30p CDT, ESPNU will air a 30 minute special previewing the 2013 American Athletic Conference football season. The program will re-air later that night at 10:30p EDT, 9:30p CDT.
The talent will be ESPNU's lead anchor Dari Nowkhah and Tom Luginbill.
###
NBC Sports was at practice on Tuesday to film video head shots of a few players to be used during the telecast on Saturday, August 31, at Notre Dame.
Tuesday, June 02
Saturday, May 30
Tuesday, May 19
Tuesday, May 05
