Temple University Athletics
Temple Football and Tyler Matakevich Honored by PSWA
1.4.16 | Football
PHILADELPHIA – The Temple Owls football team has been chosen as Team of the Year, and senior LB Tyler Matakevich has been selected as Outstanding Amateur Athlete, it was announced today by Philadelphia Sportswriters Association (PSWA) president Sam Carchidi. The awards will be handed out at the PSWA's 112th annual dinner on February 1, at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill. Tickets are available for $95 each at www.pswadinner.com.
The Owls began their outstanding season with a school record 7-0 start en route to a 10-4 ledger. The 10 wins tied for the most in school history. At 10-2 in the regular season and 7-1 in the conference, the Owls won the American Athletic Conference East Division and played in the AAC's first-ever championship game. The season was filled with historical moments starting with a 27-10 victory over Penn State, the first victory for Temple over its in-state rival in 74 years. Following that opening day win, Temple received votes in the Associated Press Top 25 every week of the season and eventually cracked the Top 25 for the first time since 1979. Temple also finished the season ranked #24 in the College Football Playoff Poll.
Collectively, the 2015 Owls re-wrote the school record book and the honors invividually were plentiful. Head coach Matt Rhule won the Maxwell Award's Tri-State Coach of the year and was a semifinalist for the George Munger and Eddie Robinson Awards, given to the nation's most outstanding coach. Temple boasted ten players on the all-conference team and had 26 players with their college degrees before kickoff of the Boca Raton Bowl – only Alabama had more among 2015 bowl teams.
No individual was recognized as much as Matakevich who claimed two prestigious national awards – the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy – for defensive player of the year. He was also a consensus All-America, the first defensive player to earn first-team All-America honors in Temple history, and the first at any position to earn the nod since Paul Palmer in 1986
The Stratford, Conn., native won the Walter Camp Connecticut player of the year, the AAC defensive player of the year, and was a unanimous first-team all-conference selection. He was the only FBS players to lead his team in tackles every game of the 2015 season while racking up 138 total tackles. He also led the nation in interceptions among linebackers with a career-high five and also reached career-highs in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (15.0). Matakevich became just the seventh college football player to have four seasons over 100 tackles and he broke the 34 year school record with 493 career tackles.
The Owls and Matakevich are only part of a very special evening. Already on the dais for the February 1, dinner: Flyers star Jake Voracek (Outstanding Philadelphia Pro Athlete) and Carli Lloyd, the star of the World Cup champion U.S. women's soccer team who is the Athlete of the Year. Eagles broadcaster Merrill Reese will be on hand as the inaugural winner of the Bill Campbell Broadcast Award Former heavyweight boxing champion Larry Holmes will claim his Living Legend award, and Phillies chairman David Montgomery will accept his Ed Snider Lifetime Distinguished Humanitarian Award. New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Jahri Evans of Bloomsburg University and Frankford High School will claim his Native Son award. Comic Joe Conklin will lighten things up with his Philly sports observations, and Michael Barkann of Comcast SportsNet and WIP will serve as the dinner's emcee.
The Owls began their outstanding season with a school record 7-0 start en route to a 10-4 ledger. The 10 wins tied for the most in school history. At 10-2 in the regular season and 7-1 in the conference, the Owls won the American Athletic Conference East Division and played in the AAC's first-ever championship game. The season was filled with historical moments starting with a 27-10 victory over Penn State, the first victory for Temple over its in-state rival in 74 years. Following that opening day win, Temple received votes in the Associated Press Top 25 every week of the season and eventually cracked the Top 25 for the first time since 1979. Temple also finished the season ranked #24 in the College Football Playoff Poll.
Collectively, the 2015 Owls re-wrote the school record book and the honors invividually were plentiful. Head coach Matt Rhule won the Maxwell Award's Tri-State Coach of the year and was a semifinalist for the George Munger and Eddie Robinson Awards, given to the nation's most outstanding coach. Temple boasted ten players on the all-conference team and had 26 players with their college degrees before kickoff of the Boca Raton Bowl – only Alabama had more among 2015 bowl teams.
No individual was recognized as much as Matakevich who claimed two prestigious national awards – the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy – for defensive player of the year. He was also a consensus All-America, the first defensive player to earn first-team All-America honors in Temple history, and the first at any position to earn the nod since Paul Palmer in 1986
The Stratford, Conn., native won the Walter Camp Connecticut player of the year, the AAC defensive player of the year, and was a unanimous first-team all-conference selection. He was the only FBS players to lead his team in tackles every game of the 2015 season while racking up 138 total tackles. He also led the nation in interceptions among linebackers with a career-high five and also reached career-highs in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (15.0). Matakevich became just the seventh college football player to have four seasons over 100 tackles and he broke the 34 year school record with 493 career tackles.
The Owls and Matakevich are only part of a very special evening. Already on the dais for the February 1, dinner: Flyers star Jake Voracek (Outstanding Philadelphia Pro Athlete) and Carli Lloyd, the star of the World Cup champion U.S. women's soccer team who is the Athlete of the Year. Eagles broadcaster Merrill Reese will be on hand as the inaugural winner of the Bill Campbell Broadcast Award Former heavyweight boxing champion Larry Holmes will claim his Living Legend award, and Phillies chairman David Montgomery will accept his Ed Snider Lifetime Distinguished Humanitarian Award. New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Jahri Evans of Bloomsburg University and Frankford High School will claim his Native Son award. Comic Joe Conklin will lighten things up with his Philly sports observations, and Michael Barkann of Comcast SportsNet and WIP will serve as the dinner's emcee.
Players Mentioned
LB
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