HOF Profile: Tom Whalen - What Temple Means to Me

Temple is part of the fabric of who I am as a person - part of who I was, who I am and who I aspire to be. To me, Temple means living in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the country, receiving an education from a nationally recognized academic institution, playing for Skip Wilson, a Hall of Fame coach, having phenomenal teammates that supported me and pushed me to excellence, and most importantly, meeting my wife, also a former Temple athlete, who remains the most important person in my life. Temple is always with me. Temple means everything!

To be a Division I athlete, you have to put in countless hours, blood, sweat, and tears into the sport you play just to have the chance to play in college. Once at Temple, however, such efforts only became greater and more focused. Temple taught me many things: hard work, organization skills, time management, teamwork, dedication, sacrifice, responsibility, respect for others, working harder for the name on the front of the jersey, rather than the name on the back. I traveled around the country to play a sport I truly loved, for a university I was proud to be a part of.

Temple had such a rich history in baseball and we wanted to uphold that tradition. To do that, we had to put in a tremendous amount of effort and dedication. While the average college student scheduled classes as late as possible, most student athletes have already been up since 6 am lifting weights, heading to class, going to practice and finally attending study hall or back to the dorm to study. We had to schedule our classes around our practices to make sure that we can gave 100 percent in the classroom and at practice. Bad grades meant that we couldn't compete. We often missed out on parties, spring break and other typical student activities. Some may read this and think "why would anyone want to do that?" To be clear, we had plenty of fun, but I don't think back and regret what I missed; I think back and am thankful for what I gained. I know I was the fortunate one because I had the opportunity to do something most college students don't get to do – represent their university at a level most people will never be able to understand.

I was so fortunate to play for Coach Skip Wilson and the other great coaches. He believed in me enough to offer a full scholarship and start me as a freshmen. He pushed me to be excellent. Skip was demanding on the field, but fairly lenient off it. He expected us to act like grown-ups and for the most part we did. Because of him, I learned so many crucial lessons that not only helped me on the field, but remain with me today. When I decided not to turn pro, Skip and the athletic department were instrumental in introducing me to the Dean at the law school, where I eventually received my law degree. Skip wanted his players to win on the field, but more than that, he wanted his players to win at life. I can't thank Skip enough.

My wife and I are proud former student athletes and graduates and remain active in our support of Temple. We are season ticket holders for men's basketball, attend football and field hockey games and have donated generously to Temple, including donating to the new sports complex and naming the Field Hockey locker room. We deeply believe in giving back to a university that gave so much to us.

I am so honored to be a Temple athlete and graduate of the university and the law school and am incredibly happy to be inducted into Temple's Hall of Fame. I am proud to be recognized for my achievements and humbled to be a member of such a prestigious group of former athletes.

Thank you Temple...for everything!

n.b. - Tom Whalen is one of 10 members of the 2018 Temple Athletics Hall of Fame Class. The class will be officially inducted on Friday, October 19 at a Gala held inside the Temple University STAR Pavilion. The class will also be recognized at the Homecoming Football game (Temple vs. #25 Cincinnati) on Saturday, October 20 (noon).

Temple University Athletics

HOF Profile: Tom Whalen - What Temple Means to Me

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