Temple University Athletics
The Making of a Champ
8.12.16 | Football
Fran Brown knows a thing or two about growing up in Camden – having grown up on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, just across from New Jersey.
And Brown vividly recalls the first conversation he had with the kid they called "Champ."
"We grew up in the same area, and I knew about some of the kids playing 'little league football' there," said Brown – who is Temple's associate head coach/defensive backs and a former star quarterback at Camden High School. "I remember meeting this kid when he was in the seventh grade, and he told me he was a good football player.
"I told him I'd keep watching him and asked him, 'What's your name?'
"He said, 'They call me Champ.' They called him Champ because there were three other kids on his team named Sean. But he's the one who kept making tackles, so they told him, 'You're the champ.' That's how he got the name.
"I kept an eye on him, and he kept getting better and better. I knew he could play. And when we officially could start talking to him, I told Coach (Matt) Rhule we needed him. He'll help change the culture around here."
And that's exactly what Sean "Champ" Chandler has done since he got to campus.
It's a hot August morning in Philadelphia, and Sean Chandler is getting accustomed to his new position on the football field.
One of the biggest pieces of news around the football team this summer was the decision to move Chandler – a 2015 American Athletic Conference second-team cornerback – to safety. Along with the conference recognition, Chandler has started to garner national attention; in fact, he was recently named to the 2016 Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list (the award is given annually to the nation's top defensive back).
However, with Temple graduating three senior safeties from last season's squad, the coaches needed somebody who could play the position and be vocal on the field. Chandler filled that job description.
The position change, while noteworthy, was hardly considered shocking. Rhule dropped hints about it in the spring because of Chandler's big-play capabilities, and Brown was one of the coaches who approached Chandler about making the transition.
"We knew we needed somebody who could be a leader and could make plays – and wouldn't be afraid to work with young guys and make sure they were in the right position," said Brown, who was Chandler's position coach the last two seasons. "He has a natural knack for the ball, he understands football and he knows the game. The kid never stops studying. He'll be our quarterback on defense."
Chandler started 24 of his 25 collegiate contests the last two years; he did not start the opener as a freshman, but was on the field by the second series. As a true freshman, he had 69 tackles – the most among Temple defensive backs – and nine passes defended (including an interception). As a sophomore, he had 65 tackles, 14 passes defended and four interceptions – returning two for touchdowns.
On paper, transitioning from cornerback to safety doesn't seem that drastic. But football isn't played on paper, and Chandler has been working feverishly to learn all the nuances of his new position.
"When they came to me, I knew it was a good idea," Chandler said. "I knew I'd have more opportunities to make more plays. I'll be doing more things like blitzing and dropping into the flat – and doing those types of things instead of just playing deep or covering one man."
What are the biggest changes he's noticed?
"My reads are different," said the 6-foot, 190-pound junior. "There are more things that are going to take me to the ball, instead of locking in on one receiver and letting the ball come to me at corner. So at safety, I'll read (offensive) tackles to see if it's a run or a pass – so I can get to the ball faster."
Along with the physical demands of the position, the safety has a voice in the middle of the defensive backfield. And having a voice brings a lot of responsibilities, most notably leadership.
"I definitely have to be vocal at the safety position," Chandler said. "I have to talk to the other safety. I have to talk to the cornerbacks and tell them what to do based on the things that I see. I talk to the younger guys. They know I can help them with their positions.
"It's very important to me to be a leader. I feel like I've been a leader all my life – and I like to lead in different ways. I kind of like to lead with actions themselves, but there's always a time where a leader has to use his voice. Lately, I've been using my voice. I always felt I could do that and be comfortable with it."
Chandler's future leadership skills – his leading by example by being around and observing – became evident to the coaching staff when he was still in high school. At the time, Temple's practice field was being renovated – and the team was practicing down the road from Camden High School. After signing his national letter of intent in February 2014, Chandler would show up at 6 a.m. to watch Temple's spring practice and soak everything in – then head over to Camden High for the start of his school day.
"Once I figured out they were practicing real close to my school, I figured, 'Why not go watch?' Just go over there and walk to school afterward," he said. "When I first started going out there, it could be super cold in the morning, but I knew it would give me that edge on other incoming freshmen. I could learn what the people were doing there – and see what they were good at and not good at – and figure out what I needed to work on so I could be ready when I got there."
Brown lauded Chandler for coming around to watch, saying the defensive back embraced it.
"He's a football guy, and it gave him a chance to be around football even more," Brown said. "His future college team was practicing right around the corner from his high school. Where we come from, you don't see college football teams practicing. He'd come up and watch every morning. He got to see what it was all about, then he'd go to school. He did everything he could to maximize his opportunity to play as a freshman."
Truth be told, a switch from cornerback to safety is nothing compared to some of the hurdles Chandler had to overcome growing up.
The tough streets of Camden are where Chandler was raised. And the tough streets of Camden are where Chandler and his family moved … from place to place … often barely having enough money for food. He doesn't know the exact number of residences he called home. At one point during his middle school years, Chandler and his family spent a year in a homeless shelter. Back then, and to this day, Chandler has gone out of his way to make sure his youngest sister, Colette – now 10 years old – is taken care of.
For a long time, Chandler wasn't comfortable talking about his plight growing up. He's becoming more open about it, hoping his story of overcoming obstacles can serve as an inspiration to others.
"Growing up … at first, everything was regular for me. I didn't know any different," he said. "I was just a regular kid. I liked having fun and playing football, doing the things that I loved. We were struggling, but I was young – and I wasn't paying attention to it that much. As I grew older, I would see things – and pay more attention.
"I remember so many times I'd ask my mom for money for something to eat, and she'd say, 'I don't have any.' I thought she did and wouldn't give it to me. As I got older, though, I'd see it in her eyes – and I knew she really didn't have any. So I knew I would have to do something to make sure my youngest sister had something to eat. I'd get my coaches to take me out to eat, and I'd order more than I could eat – so I could bring something home to my youngest sister.
"We would move around a lot. I wasn't sure why we were moving around. When I started getting older, I knew that we were actually being evicted instead of just moving. Then when I really was getting older, we ended up in a shelter. At another point, we were actually living in a motel. I was embarrassed about that, living in a motel."
Chandler is able to stay positive telling his story. Like he said, he didn't know any different.
"All those things … they humble me now and make me go harder. I always think about all of the things I want to do for my parents and my siblings."
A kinesiology major, Chandler has been legendary for his "gym rat" mentality since arriving on campus. He spends hour upon hour at Temple's football complex, Edberg-Olson Hall – his home away from home – living and breathing football.
"I've always wanted to be around the facility," he said. "I knew it would give me that edge – that little edge that I would need to dominate somebody. Or that little edge that I would need to help us win the game. Now, being here makes everybody else want to be here. I'm a leader, so they'll want to follow my footsteps. I know that being here is one of those things that's going to help us win in the long run."
A visual learner, Chandler spends plenty of time in the film room – where he can slow the game down.
"I feel so relaxed sitting there and watching film. You can zone in on things," he said. "I don't only watch myself; I watch other people to see what they do well and what they do badly.
"Once you see something on film – and then it happens in the game – it makes you feel good. 'Yeah, I saw that on film, I prepared myself for it. I did it. That work paid off.' That happened all the time last year."
The leadership exhibited by Chandler – both on and off the field – has been the "changing of the culture" skills that Brown expected out of the kid from Camden.
"From Day One, Champ's just been a guy who has wanted to play," Brown said. "I told him, 'I'm going to play you as a freshman, but you have to work. There's not going to be any favoritism. I'm going to work you.' I can relate to how he grew up. I can talk to him. We relate really well … we're from the same spot … we kind of lived on the same block … we know the same people … we know each other really well.
"Champ just works and works and works. That's because of where he's come from and what he's done. He's always had to overcome stuff, so he constantly works. He wants people to know it's not about talking, but it's about working and doing."
And Brown vividly recalls the first conversation he had with the kid they called "Champ."
"We grew up in the same area, and I knew about some of the kids playing 'little league football' there," said Brown – who is Temple's associate head coach/defensive backs and a former star quarterback at Camden High School. "I remember meeting this kid when he was in the seventh grade, and he told me he was a good football player.
"I told him I'd keep watching him and asked him, 'What's your name?'
"He said, 'They call me Champ.' They called him Champ because there were three other kids on his team named Sean. But he's the one who kept making tackles, so they told him, 'You're the champ.' That's how he got the name.
"I kept an eye on him, and he kept getting better and better. I knew he could play. And when we officially could start talking to him, I told Coach (Matt) Rhule we needed him. He'll help change the culture around here."
And that's exactly what Sean "Champ" Chandler has done since he got to campus.
*****
It's a hot August morning in Philadelphia, and Sean Chandler is getting accustomed to his new position on the football field.
One of the biggest pieces of news around the football team this summer was the decision to move Chandler – a 2015 American Athletic Conference second-team cornerback – to safety. Along with the conference recognition, Chandler has started to garner national attention; in fact, he was recently named to the 2016 Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list (the award is given annually to the nation's top defensive back).
However, with Temple graduating three senior safeties from last season's squad, the coaches needed somebody who could play the position and be vocal on the field. Chandler filled that job description.
The position change, while noteworthy, was hardly considered shocking. Rhule dropped hints about it in the spring because of Chandler's big-play capabilities, and Brown was one of the coaches who approached Chandler about making the transition.
"We knew we needed somebody who could be a leader and could make plays – and wouldn't be afraid to work with young guys and make sure they were in the right position," said Brown, who was Chandler's position coach the last two seasons. "He has a natural knack for the ball, he understands football and he knows the game. The kid never stops studying. He'll be our quarterback on defense."
Chandler started 24 of his 25 collegiate contests the last two years; he did not start the opener as a freshman, but was on the field by the second series. As a true freshman, he had 69 tackles – the most among Temple defensive backs – and nine passes defended (including an interception). As a sophomore, he had 65 tackles, 14 passes defended and four interceptions – returning two for touchdowns.
On paper, transitioning from cornerback to safety doesn't seem that drastic. But football isn't played on paper, and Chandler has been working feverishly to learn all the nuances of his new position.
"When they came to me, I knew it was a good idea," Chandler said. "I knew I'd have more opportunities to make more plays. I'll be doing more things like blitzing and dropping into the flat – and doing those types of things instead of just playing deep or covering one man."
What are the biggest changes he's noticed?
"My reads are different," said the 6-foot, 190-pound junior. "There are more things that are going to take me to the ball, instead of locking in on one receiver and letting the ball come to me at corner. So at safety, I'll read (offensive) tackles to see if it's a run or a pass – so I can get to the ball faster."
Along with the physical demands of the position, the safety has a voice in the middle of the defensive backfield. And having a voice brings a lot of responsibilities, most notably leadership.
"I definitely have to be vocal at the safety position," Chandler said. "I have to talk to the other safety. I have to talk to the cornerbacks and tell them what to do based on the things that I see. I talk to the younger guys. They know I can help them with their positions.
"It's very important to me to be a leader. I feel like I've been a leader all my life – and I like to lead in different ways. I kind of like to lead with actions themselves, but there's always a time where a leader has to use his voice. Lately, I've been using my voice. I always felt I could do that and be comfortable with it."
Chandler's future leadership skills – his leading by example by being around and observing – became evident to the coaching staff when he was still in high school. At the time, Temple's practice field was being renovated – and the team was practicing down the road from Camden High School. After signing his national letter of intent in February 2014, Chandler would show up at 6 a.m. to watch Temple's spring practice and soak everything in – then head over to Camden High for the start of his school day.
"Once I figured out they were practicing real close to my school, I figured, 'Why not go watch?' Just go over there and walk to school afterward," he said. "When I first started going out there, it could be super cold in the morning, but I knew it would give me that edge on other incoming freshmen. I could learn what the people were doing there – and see what they were good at and not good at – and figure out what I needed to work on so I could be ready when I got there."
Brown lauded Chandler for coming around to watch, saying the defensive back embraced it.
"He's a football guy, and it gave him a chance to be around football even more," Brown said. "His future college team was practicing right around the corner from his high school. Where we come from, you don't see college football teams practicing. He'd come up and watch every morning. He got to see what it was all about, then he'd go to school. He did everything he could to maximize his opportunity to play as a freshman."
*****
Truth be told, a switch from cornerback to safety is nothing compared to some of the hurdles Chandler had to overcome growing up.
The tough streets of Camden are where Chandler was raised. And the tough streets of Camden are where Chandler and his family moved … from place to place … often barely having enough money for food. He doesn't know the exact number of residences he called home. At one point during his middle school years, Chandler and his family spent a year in a homeless shelter. Back then, and to this day, Chandler has gone out of his way to make sure his youngest sister, Colette – now 10 years old – is taken care of.
For a long time, Chandler wasn't comfortable talking about his plight growing up. He's becoming more open about it, hoping his story of overcoming obstacles can serve as an inspiration to others.
"Growing up … at first, everything was regular for me. I didn't know any different," he said. "I was just a regular kid. I liked having fun and playing football, doing the things that I loved. We were struggling, but I was young – and I wasn't paying attention to it that much. As I grew older, I would see things – and pay more attention.
"I remember so many times I'd ask my mom for money for something to eat, and she'd say, 'I don't have any.' I thought she did and wouldn't give it to me. As I got older, though, I'd see it in her eyes – and I knew she really didn't have any. So I knew I would have to do something to make sure my youngest sister had something to eat. I'd get my coaches to take me out to eat, and I'd order more than I could eat – so I could bring something home to my youngest sister.
"We would move around a lot. I wasn't sure why we were moving around. When I started getting older, I knew that we were actually being evicted instead of just moving. Then when I really was getting older, we ended up in a shelter. At another point, we were actually living in a motel. I was embarrassed about that, living in a motel."
Chandler is able to stay positive telling his story. Like he said, he didn't know any different.
"All those things … they humble me now and make me go harder. I always think about all of the things I want to do for my parents and my siblings."
*****
A kinesiology major, Chandler has been legendary for his "gym rat" mentality since arriving on campus. He spends hour upon hour at Temple's football complex, Edberg-Olson Hall – his home away from home – living and breathing football.
"I've always wanted to be around the facility," he said. "I knew it would give me that edge – that little edge that I would need to dominate somebody. Or that little edge that I would need to help us win the game. Now, being here makes everybody else want to be here. I'm a leader, so they'll want to follow my footsteps. I know that being here is one of those things that's going to help us win in the long run."
A visual learner, Chandler spends plenty of time in the film room – where he can slow the game down.
"I feel so relaxed sitting there and watching film. You can zone in on things," he said. "I don't only watch myself; I watch other people to see what they do well and what they do badly.
"Once you see something on film – and then it happens in the game – it makes you feel good. 'Yeah, I saw that on film, I prepared myself for it. I did it. That work paid off.' That happened all the time last year."
The leadership exhibited by Chandler – both on and off the field – has been the "changing of the culture" skills that Brown expected out of the kid from Camden.
"From Day One, Champ's just been a guy who has wanted to play," Brown said. "I told him, 'I'm going to play you as a freshman, but you have to work. There's not going to be any favoritism. I'm going to work you.' I can relate to how he grew up. I can talk to him. We relate really well … we're from the same spot … we kind of lived on the same block … we know the same people … we know each other really well.
"Champ just works and works and works. That's because of where he's come from and what he's done. He's always had to overcome stuff, so he constantly works. He wants people to know it's not about talking, but it's about working and doing."
Players Mentioned
DB
/ FootballEp. 30: First Episode of 2026!
Tuesday, January 13
MBB Press Conference vs. ECU (Adam Fisher)
Thursday, January 08
Temple Men's Basketball 2025-26 All Access | Game 15 vs UTSA 1.03.2026
Tuesday, January 06
MBB Press Conference vs.UTSA (Adam Fisher, Gavin Griffiths, Jordan Mason)
Sunday, January 04
