Temple University Athletics
Football's Florida Boys Head Home for AAC Battle
10.31.18 | Football
PHILADELPHIA- As Temple football squares off with #9 UCF this Thursday night in Orlando, Florida, the road trip down south poses as quite the homecoming to four of the Owls longest tenured players.
"The Florida Boys" - consisting of WRs Ventell Bryant and Brodrick Yancy, DB Jyquis Thomas, and DT Freddie Booth-Lloyd - all hail from The Sunshine State and made their way to North Philadelphia as a part of Temple's 2014 recruiting class.
"Growing up, football was everything. It was my way of staying out of trouble, and it was also my way of taking out my anger," said Booth-Lloyd. "So, it's very competitive down south - football is what most kids play."
These four Temple seniors grew up all over the map in Florida, but they all experienced similar things when playing in the Sunshine State.
"As they say, the further down south in Florida, the faster they [the players] get," said Booth-Lloyd.
"That's what they say," reiterated Thomas. "Up in Tallahassee and Gainesville they're fast, then when you get central they're really fast, then you get down to south Florida and they're blazing. So [Freddie's] right, it is like that back home."
The four upperclassmen have many fond memories of playing at Temple, but one that sticks with them is a game that happened in their home state.
Temple's last-second victory vs. UCF in 2016- a 26-25 nailbiter that ended with quarterback P.J. Walker connecting with WR Keith Kirkwood for a touchdown in the final seconds. The victory ignited a seven game winning streak for the Owls, propelling them to an American Conference Championship just two months later.
When asked about his favorite memory at Temple, Bryant didn't hesitate.
"Off the top, UCF… I felt like that was one of the biggest wins in our program's history with what we accomplished that year in winning the championship," said Bryant. "That was a great game, and I feel like this will be another big game this Thursday."
Booth-Lloyd, a native of Cocoa who earned the nickname "Freddie Love" around Temple's Edberg-Olsen Hall football complex agreed.
"I remember when P.J. threw that ball up, I had to look in the other direction - I couldn't even look at it," said Booth-Lloyd. "All I heard was screaming, and when I turned around, Keith [Kirkwood] had the ball… We just went crazy after that."
Throughout their time at Temple, they've each played pivotal roles in establishing a winning culture in the program, all while developing lasting friendships with each other.
Thomas, a Plant City native, has provided the defense with position versatility and a reliable presence in coverage since making his debut in 2015. Booth-Lloyd, a physical specimen with a knack for stopping the run - and scoring touchdowns, too - is a character with a personality that is unmatched.
On the other side of the ball, Bryant has established himself as one of the most productive Temple receivers of all time. He currently ranks second in all time receiving yards for Temple's program and has recorded a reception in every one of the 43 career games he was active for.
"I just try to go in to every game and try to make plays for my team. Luckily every game I've played in I've had a catch, and that's all I can strive myself to do, just make plays for my team."
Yancy, a native of Bradenton, has been a consistent contributor on offense and special teams throughout his 5 years at Temple. When asked about coming home to Florida to play UCF, Yancy talked about his friends and family coming to watch him play.
"My family and friends are going to be at the game… It's kind of overwhelming for it to maybe be my last game in Florida, I feel like I just got here," said Yancy. "It's going to be a good game, though, I'm excited. I just want to show what I can do, show what our whole team can do, and come out with a victory."
The excitement Yancy talked about is certainly shared among the quartet.
"The Florida boys, we'll have a lot of people coming to show support for the game," said Booth-Lloyd.
"Oh yeah. We're going to have a good show of people down there," said Thomas.
When asked about adjusting to coming to Temple, the cold was quite the change for them.
"Oh yeah, the cold, I hated it," explained Thomas. "It was very hard. I hated the cold at first… I still hate the cold. It's still hard to adjust to."
"The weather, but I feel like I got adjusted to it," added Yancy. "But the weather was definitely the biggest change."
"It definitely took me time to adjust, because I'm from a small, urban area, and [Philadelphia] is a big city," said Booth-Lloyd. "The weather really got to me when I first came here. I wasn't ready for the cold, so I had to adapt to playing in it at all costs to help my teammates."
However, he certainly embraced certain aspects about the weather as well. Recalling his finest memory over his years at Temple, Booth-Lloyd recalled an official visit to Temple as a recruit, where he witnessed snow for the first time alongside his fellow Floridians.
"Seeing snow on my official visit, that definitely has been my best memory here... Â They took us to The Linc, and the coaches made a bet about who was going to end up playing in the snow first, and it was me," explained Booth-Lloyd. "So I ran all the way to the 50 yard-line, and just laid there for about two minutes. That is my best memory in Philly."
The American Conference East is at stake on Thursday night, as both Temple and UCF enter the matchup undefeated in conference play at 4-0. The Florida foursome will look to make a lasting memory in what could be the final game in their home state.
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