Captain Kirk

Keith Kirkwood arrived at Temple as a low-profile transfer hailing all the way from the University of Hawaii. One hardship waiver, two 10-win seasons, an American Athletic Conference championship and the growth of his now five year-old daughter, Aria, later, and Kirkwood finds himself as one of the program's most respected leaders and high-profile players.

However, it wasn't always easy for the Neptune, New Jersey, native. His story is lengthy and his journey has been long, but above all else, it's been worthwhile.

"It's been an amazing experience," said Kirkwood. "This ride at Temple has just been amazing. Playing with guys like Robby Anderson, Brandon Shippen, Jalen Fitzpatrick, John Christopher… I've just had a great ride here, and it's time to finish out these last two weeks."

As a true freshman at Hawaii, Kirkwood earned the starting job and made an immediate impact for the Rainbow Warriors. After winning the starting job at receiver and appearing in eight games over the course of his freshman campaign, Kirkwood's future was bright there.

Then, tragedy struck.

On November 30th, 2013, Hawaii running back Willis Wilson - a close friend of Kirkwood's - drowned on a beach in Hawaii, sending shockwaves not only throughout the Hawaii football community, but all throughout college football. Wilson's tragic death, combined with the struggle of being so far away from Aria, was the driving force behind Kirkwood's return to the east coast, and eventually, his arrival at Temple.

"When I was at Hawaii, my friend on the team [Wilson] passed away," said Kirkwood in an interview earlier this year. "There were struggles with that, because we were pretty close, but I also knew I didn't want to be away from my daughter. She's mostly the inspiration for wanting to come back home."

Prior to Aria's birth, her biological father passed away. Kirkwood immediately stepped into the role as her father, and well… the rest is history.

"She's been a tremendous gift from God to me," explained Kirkwood. "I'm able to see a lot of different things in life that most people don't get to, being not only a student athlete, but a father."

Balancing fatherhood and football is something that - on the surface - Kirkwood seemingly has mastered. On the gridiron, he continues to impress not only as a leader, but as one of the team's most consistent impact players. As for off the field, he says, "Being a student, an athlete, and a father can be difficult and challenging… but just seeing her face everyday inspires me to be a better man, and to go further and take that extra step everyday."

Typically, college athletes who transfer from one school to another are forced to sit out for one year. However in this case, the NCAA granted Kirkwood a "hardship waiver" due to the death of his friend, allowing him to pick back up and play immediately. Without this, Kirkwood may have never been able to call North Philadelphia home.

Kirkwood's journey to becoming a vital component in Temple football's recent success has been one of many twists and turns. His debut for the Owls came mid-season of his sophomore campaign where he caught his first reception and touchdown against Houston. Kirkwood then seemed to be primed for a breakout junior season, but an injury in the season opener against Penn State sidelined him for the rest of the season, resulting in him being redshirted. However, he says, being sidelined wasn't the worst.

"It wasn't the worst, and looking back, I kind of see it as a positive," Kirkwood explained. "It got me better, it motivated me, and I became a different athlete and receiver, and it's showed."

Once the 2016 season came around, which would be Kirkwood's last with long-time coach Matt Rhule and quarterback Phillip Walker, he was practically destined to breakout - and that is exactly what he did.

Kirkwood's redshirt-junior campaign kicked off with a bang, as the fourth-year junior hauled in 21 receptions for 315 yards and two touchdowns through the first six games. He quickly became a reliable go-to target in the high powered offense, and that was evident on the last play of the Owls' seventh game, a road battle against UCF that would define Temple's season.

The Owls trailed UCF 25-20. It was first-and-goal from the eight yard line with six seconds left on the clock. Quarterback P.J. Walker quickly stepped under center with the intention to spike the ball and stop the clock after a throw to receiver Ventell Bryant placed the Owls within striking distance. Once the line got set, Walker called hike and to many spectator's surprise, dropped back to pass instead of spiking the ball. With pressure approaching and a hand in his face, Walker stood tall and threw up a 50/50 ball to the back of the end-zone, and none other than Keith Kirkwood came down with the catch over a leaping defender to seal the victory with a mere one second to spare.

And just like that, Keith Kirkwood had arrived.

That game-winning grab sparked a seven-game winning streak for the program, which resulted in a second consecutive bowl game appearance and an American Athletic Conference Championship.

"I think [the UCF game] was a big turning point, but it wasn't just me, it was the whole team on that last drive," said Kirkwood. "Everybody did their job and that resulted in a victory, but we can't look back at last year, we've got to look at our opponent this week, and come out and do nothing different."

Kirkwood finished his junior campaign with 42 receptions for 648 yards and four touchdowns. Early that following offseason, the team awarded Kirkwood with their highest honor, a single-digit jersey number - #5, to be exact.

The program's tradition of awarding it's toughest, most dedicated players with a single digit was kept alive by current head coach Geoff Collins, and the importance of the honor cannot be taken lightly.

"Guys who wear the single-digit understand how important it is to the players and the coaches, but the main thing is the leadership aspect, just bringing the young guys along and making sure everything is in order," he said. "It's not about the swag, or coming out of high school and getting the number you want, it's about the hard work, the dedication, and the time and effort you put in."

Since arriving at Temple roughly a year ago, coach Collins and company placed an emphasis on being "Temple TUFF." That slogan can be found everywhere from on the walls of Edberg-Olson Hall (Temple's football facility) to scattered across social media as a hashtag. However, according to Kirkwood, it's much deeper than that.

"Over the years it's just a culture that has been embedded in this program," explained Kirkwood. "It's all about being the best person you can be, on and off the field."

In addition to stressing the importance of toughness, Temple's staff made position versatility a major focal point, as well. Thus, Kirkwood began taking snaps at defensive end during the spring, and those snaps eventually carried over into games this season. Kirkwood racked up one sack in Temple's spring game and has one tackle on the season.

"It was pretty cool, just showing that I'm an athlete that can play multiple positions and that I'm flexible," said Kirkwood. "Wherever they put me, I'm just going to go out and dominate and do what I have to do."

Temple's Saturday afternoon showdown against undefeated, #15 ranked UCF is quickly approaching, and there is a lot riding on this game. As Temple sits at 5-5, a sixth victory would give this senior class the most wins in school history, would make the Owls bowl-eligible for the third consecutive season (also a school record), and would be an incredible way for the seniors to celebrate their senior day - their last time suiting up in Cherry & White at Lincoln Financial Field.

According to coach Collins, his mindset entering this week is no different than any other week - he's simply focused on getting a win. Nonetheless, the importance of this game cannot be understated.

"This is the biggest game, simply because it's the next game," explained Kirkwood. "It's nothing different. We have to come out and attack like we have all week. For the seniors, it's our last time playing in front of our families and our last time at The Linc, so we have to go out with a bang and try to put on a show."

If anybody is up for the challenge, it's the Owls… led by Keith Kirkwood.

Temple University Athletics

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