Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Zamani Feelings
Football Set To Honor 16 Seniors Ahead of Final Home Game
11.29.19 | Football
PHILADELPHIA- The 2019 Temple Football senior class is the third winningest class in program history. The class currently has 32 victories and a 32-18 overall record with one regular season game and a bowl game remaining. Their 22 American Athletic Conference wins are one of the best in the conference and program history as well.
Â
This class has endured three coaching staff changes, and has shown that Temple Football's culture starts with the players in the locker room. This group has helped carry the torch of success the Owls have had since joining the American Athletic Conference. The high performance standard was set by classes before them, and they have continued the ongoing success. This is the first class in program history to play in four bowl games, an impressive feat considering this will just be the ninth bowl game played in program history. Next month, OL Jovahn Fair can become the first Temple Owl to start in four bowl games. Congrats to all our seniors and thank you for your hard work and dedication, you will be missed but your legacy lives on.
Â
Shaun Bradley has been at Temple since 2016 and has been the starting middle linebacker since 2017. Bradley has played double digits games in each of his four years at Temple, and has recorded 243 total tackles, as well as three interceptions, two sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was awarded his single-digit #5 jersey in the summer of 2018. Bradley played high school football at Rancocas Valley (N.J.) High, where he earned its Male Athlete of the Year in 2014-15. He is set to graduate in the spring with a degree in adult & organizational development.
Â
Anthony Cruz, a media studies and production major from Dingmans Ferry, Pa., has been a member of the Owls since 2016, when he joined the team as a walk-on. He did not see game action until his redshirt junior season in 2018 when he made his debut against Villanova. He played in all 13 games that year seeing action on special teams and recorded his first career tackle and fumble recovery in a week five matchup vs Boston College. This year, he has played in four games on special teams' units.
Â
Karamo Dioubate was a highly recruited player coming out of Prep Charter High School in Philadelphia in 2016. He made his collegiate debut as a true freshman vs. Stony Brook and recorded three tackles and a TFL. In 2018 he recorded first-career sack against Maryland and the following week recorded a career-high six tackles and his first-career touchdown (a 50-yard fumble return) against Tulsa. Overall, he's played in 47 career games on a deep and experienced defensive line.
Â
Jovahn Fair joined the Owls in 2015 out of Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio. After redshirting in 2015, he has been a four-year starter at left guard during the school's unparalleled success. In fact, he can become the first Temple player to start four bowl games when the Owls play next month. In 2019, he earned a single-digit honor (although offensive linemen are restricted from wearing those numbers in games). He has already completed his bachelor's degree in human development and is pursuing a master's degree.
Â
Sam Franklin has been at Temple since 2016 and has been a starter the past two seasons. A talented athlete, he has worked at wide receiver, cornerback, and defensive end before settling in his role at outside linebacker. He played in his 51st game for Temple against Cincinnati in 2019, and has never missed a game in each of his four years. Franklin was awarded his single digit #4 jersey in the summer of 2019. He has recorded 179 total tackles and eight sacks in his career. Franklin went to Citrus High School in Inverness, Florida and attended East Coast Prep in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, before coming to Temple. He is set to graduate in the spring with a degree in adult & organizational development, and was able to take a week-long class in Japan as part of Temple's STHM program in the spring of 2019.
Â
Hailing from Black Mountain, North Carolina, Jager Gardner has quite the offensive weapon for the Temple University football unit. A multi-sport athlete at Charles D. Owen High, he thrived on the football field and as a result, became a marquee member of the 2015 recruiting class. Five games in, Gardner made his presence known by rushing for a 94-yard touchdown in his first career start, setting a Temple record. Although an injury prematurely ended his junior season, he was rewarded with an extra season by way of a redshirt. Over his career at Temple, Gardner has played in 46 games and amassed 1,170 rushing yards, 140 receiving yards, and 9 total touchdowns. His senior season has seen him accrue 585 yards and 5 touchdowns. Gardner suffered a season ending injury against Cincinnati last week. He received his degree in adult and organizational development in the spring of 2019.
Â
Deandre Kelly attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He is currently a graduate student already having obtained a bachelor's degree in human development and community engagement in the spring of 2019. Kelly made his collegiate debut in 2016 vs. Stony Brook and a year later made first career start vs Army. In 2019, had his best game as Temple upset #23 Memphis, 30-28, recording a strip sack of QB Brady White for his first sack and forced fumble.
Joining the team as a walk-on, Sam Kramer has been a member of the Temple Owls football team since 2016. Off the field, Kramer has received numerous accolades for his success in the classroom, garnering placement on the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team in 2016, President's Honor Roll in 2016-17, and Athletic Director's Honor Roll in 2018. Before making the position change from linebacker to tight end for the Owls, Kramer was a quarterback for Hempfield High in Landisville, Pennsylvania, where he also finished in the top 10 percent of his class. Kramer is set to graduate in the spring of 2020 with a degree in business management.
Â
Jacob LaFree came to Temple as a graduate transfer this spring. The Plymouth, Indiana, native earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Indianapolis. At Temple, he has served as a kickoff specialist showcasing a powerful leg that has led to 29 touchbacks on 58 kickoffs.
Â
Dana Levine, a redshirt senior adult and organizational development major from Hallandale Beach, Fla., joined the Owls in 2015. He redshirted in 2015, making his debut in 2016 against Stony Brook, and recording his first career sack. This year, he plays valuable snaps at defensive end and has made the most of his opportunities with 5.5 sacks and 9 TFLs. He has registered 84 tackles and 11 sacks in his career.
Â
Zack Mesday, an early childhood education major from Bordentown, N.J., has been a valuable member of the Owls for the past six years. He joined Temple in 2014 as a walk-on and battled through multiple injuries, and powered through position changes. His first career game came against Cincinnati in 2016 when he played one snap as a fullback. In 2017, he made the switch from linebacker to defensive end. Mesday's perseverance payed off at the end of 2018 when he was granted a sixth year of eligibility and was placed on scholarship. He has played in 24 consecutive games for the Owls. This season, Mesday has recorded 20 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Â
Ayron Monroe, a graduate transfer from Penn State, joined the Owls this past summer. He appeared in 33 games for the Nittany Lions in three years, but never started a game. Since joining the Owls, he has started nine games at safety. His best performance came on the road against SMU, where he recorded a career-high eight tackles. He also snagged his first career interception against Tulane.
Â
Chapelle Russell has been at Temple since 2015 and has played 43 career games recording 222 total tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries. He persevered through back-to-back knee surgeries in 2016-17 before earning his single-digit #3 jersey in the summer of 2018. Russell attended Lakewood (N.J.) High, and has also lived in Atlanta, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Virginia. He graduated in the spring with a degree in media studies and production, and was able to take a week-long class in Rome as part of Temple's STHM program in the spring of 2019.
Hard-hitting safety Benny Walls has been making noise since he arrived on the scene in 2016. A part of the 2016 recruiting class, Walls was a two-time letterwinner in football and four-time letterwinner track athlete at St. Joe's Prep in Philadelphia. Over his career of 43 games, he has accumulated 118 total tackles and six interceptions. Majoring in criminal justice and set to graduate in the spring of 2020, Walls hopes to continue his success this season and help lead the team to a fifth straight bowl game.
Â
From walk-on to full-time team member, Travon Williams has become a solid contributor for the Temple football team. Having to fight for everything he's gotten at Temple, Williams was put on scholarship in 2018 during his redshirt junior year. Earlier this year, he recorded the second longest reception in school history with an 89-yard catch-and-run from QB Todd Centeio against Bucknell. Coming from New Foundations Charter High in Philadelphia, Williams was a three-time letterwinner on the football team while also excelling in basketball as well as track and field. Pursuing a degree in kinesiology, Williams is set to graduate in the spring of 2020.
Â
Isaiah Wright has been at Temple since 2016 and became the first Temple player to earn first-team All-American honors before his senior season. In 2018, he earned those honors after returning two kickoffs and one punt while placing second in the nation in combined kick return yards. Wright has played double-digit games in each of his four years at Temple, and has accumulated 4,505 all-purpose yards and has scored 20 touchdowns. He was awarded his single-digit #2 jersey in the summer of 2019. The Hartford, Conn., native is set to graduate in the spring with a degree in adult & organizational development.
Â
Â
Â
This class has endured three coaching staff changes, and has shown that Temple Football's culture starts with the players in the locker room. This group has helped carry the torch of success the Owls have had since joining the American Athletic Conference. The high performance standard was set by classes before them, and they have continued the ongoing success. This is the first class in program history to play in four bowl games, an impressive feat considering this will just be the ninth bowl game played in program history. Next month, OL Jovahn Fair can become the first Temple Owl to start in four bowl games. Congrats to all our seniors and thank you for your hard work and dedication, you will be missed but your legacy lives on.
Â
Shaun Bradley has been at Temple since 2016 and has been the starting middle linebacker since 2017. Bradley has played double digits games in each of his four years at Temple, and has recorded 243 total tackles, as well as three interceptions, two sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was awarded his single-digit #5 jersey in the summer of 2018. Bradley played high school football at Rancocas Valley (N.J.) High, where he earned its Male Athlete of the Year in 2014-15. He is set to graduate in the spring with a degree in adult & organizational development.
Â
Anthony Cruz, a media studies and production major from Dingmans Ferry, Pa., has been a member of the Owls since 2016, when he joined the team as a walk-on. He did not see game action until his redshirt junior season in 2018 when he made his debut against Villanova. He played in all 13 games that year seeing action on special teams and recorded his first career tackle and fumble recovery in a week five matchup vs Boston College. This year, he has played in four games on special teams' units.
Â
Karamo Dioubate was a highly recruited player coming out of Prep Charter High School in Philadelphia in 2016. He made his collegiate debut as a true freshman vs. Stony Brook and recorded three tackles and a TFL. In 2018 he recorded first-career sack against Maryland and the following week recorded a career-high six tackles and his first-career touchdown (a 50-yard fumble return) against Tulsa. Overall, he's played in 47 career games on a deep and experienced defensive line.
Â
Jovahn Fair joined the Owls in 2015 out of Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio. After redshirting in 2015, he has been a four-year starter at left guard during the school's unparalleled success. In fact, he can become the first Temple player to start four bowl games when the Owls play next month. In 2019, he earned a single-digit honor (although offensive linemen are restricted from wearing those numbers in games). He has already completed his bachelor's degree in human development and is pursuing a master's degree.
Â
Sam Franklin has been at Temple since 2016 and has been a starter the past two seasons. A talented athlete, he has worked at wide receiver, cornerback, and defensive end before settling in his role at outside linebacker. He played in his 51st game for Temple against Cincinnati in 2019, and has never missed a game in each of his four years. Franklin was awarded his single digit #4 jersey in the summer of 2019. He has recorded 179 total tackles and eight sacks in his career. Franklin went to Citrus High School in Inverness, Florida and attended East Coast Prep in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, before coming to Temple. He is set to graduate in the spring with a degree in adult & organizational development, and was able to take a week-long class in Japan as part of Temple's STHM program in the spring of 2019.
Â
Hailing from Black Mountain, North Carolina, Jager Gardner has quite the offensive weapon for the Temple University football unit. A multi-sport athlete at Charles D. Owen High, he thrived on the football field and as a result, became a marquee member of the 2015 recruiting class. Five games in, Gardner made his presence known by rushing for a 94-yard touchdown in his first career start, setting a Temple record. Although an injury prematurely ended his junior season, he was rewarded with an extra season by way of a redshirt. Over his career at Temple, Gardner has played in 46 games and amassed 1,170 rushing yards, 140 receiving yards, and 9 total touchdowns. His senior season has seen him accrue 585 yards and 5 touchdowns. Gardner suffered a season ending injury against Cincinnati last week. He received his degree in adult and organizational development in the spring of 2019.
Â
Deandre Kelly attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He is currently a graduate student already having obtained a bachelor's degree in human development and community engagement in the spring of 2019. Kelly made his collegiate debut in 2016 vs. Stony Brook and a year later made first career start vs Army. In 2019, had his best game as Temple upset #23 Memphis, 30-28, recording a strip sack of QB Brady White for his first sack and forced fumble.
Joining the team as a walk-on, Sam Kramer has been a member of the Temple Owls football team since 2016. Off the field, Kramer has received numerous accolades for his success in the classroom, garnering placement on the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team in 2016, President's Honor Roll in 2016-17, and Athletic Director's Honor Roll in 2018. Before making the position change from linebacker to tight end for the Owls, Kramer was a quarterback for Hempfield High in Landisville, Pennsylvania, where he also finished in the top 10 percent of his class. Kramer is set to graduate in the spring of 2020 with a degree in business management.
Â
Jacob LaFree came to Temple as a graduate transfer this spring. The Plymouth, Indiana, native earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Indianapolis. At Temple, he has served as a kickoff specialist showcasing a powerful leg that has led to 29 touchbacks on 58 kickoffs.
Â
Dana Levine, a redshirt senior adult and organizational development major from Hallandale Beach, Fla., joined the Owls in 2015. He redshirted in 2015, making his debut in 2016 against Stony Brook, and recording his first career sack. This year, he plays valuable snaps at defensive end and has made the most of his opportunities with 5.5 sacks and 9 TFLs. He has registered 84 tackles and 11 sacks in his career.
Â
Zack Mesday, an early childhood education major from Bordentown, N.J., has been a valuable member of the Owls for the past six years. He joined Temple in 2014 as a walk-on and battled through multiple injuries, and powered through position changes. His first career game came against Cincinnati in 2016 when he played one snap as a fullback. In 2017, he made the switch from linebacker to defensive end. Mesday's perseverance payed off at the end of 2018 when he was granted a sixth year of eligibility and was placed on scholarship. He has played in 24 consecutive games for the Owls. This season, Mesday has recorded 20 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Â
Ayron Monroe, a graduate transfer from Penn State, joined the Owls this past summer. He appeared in 33 games for the Nittany Lions in three years, but never started a game. Since joining the Owls, he has started nine games at safety. His best performance came on the road against SMU, where he recorded a career-high eight tackles. He also snagged his first career interception against Tulane.
Â
Chapelle Russell has been at Temple since 2015 and has played 43 career games recording 222 total tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries. He persevered through back-to-back knee surgeries in 2016-17 before earning his single-digit #3 jersey in the summer of 2018. Russell attended Lakewood (N.J.) High, and has also lived in Atlanta, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Virginia. He graduated in the spring with a degree in media studies and production, and was able to take a week-long class in Rome as part of Temple's STHM program in the spring of 2019.
Hard-hitting safety Benny Walls has been making noise since he arrived on the scene in 2016. A part of the 2016 recruiting class, Walls was a two-time letterwinner in football and four-time letterwinner track athlete at St. Joe's Prep in Philadelphia. Over his career of 43 games, he has accumulated 118 total tackles and six interceptions. Majoring in criminal justice and set to graduate in the spring of 2020, Walls hopes to continue his success this season and help lead the team to a fifth straight bowl game.
Â
From walk-on to full-time team member, Travon Williams has become a solid contributor for the Temple football team. Having to fight for everything he's gotten at Temple, Williams was put on scholarship in 2018 during his redshirt junior year. Earlier this year, he recorded the second longest reception in school history with an 89-yard catch-and-run from QB Todd Centeio against Bucknell. Coming from New Foundations Charter High in Philadelphia, Williams was a three-time letterwinner on the football team while also excelling in basketball as well as track and field. Pursuing a degree in kinesiology, Williams is set to graduate in the spring of 2020.
Â
Isaiah Wright has been at Temple since 2016 and became the first Temple player to earn first-team All-American honors before his senior season. In 2018, he earned those honors after returning two kickoffs and one punt while placing second in the nation in combined kick return yards. Wright has played double-digit games in each of his four years at Temple, and has accumulated 4,505 all-purpose yards and has scored 20 touchdowns. He was awarded his single-digit #2 jersey in the summer of 2019. The Hartford, Conn., native is set to graduate in the spring with a degree in adult & organizational development.
Â
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
SAF
/ Football
DT
/ Football
OL
/ Football
BUBO
/ Football
RB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
K
/ Football
DE
/ Football
DE
/ Football
SAF
/ Football
LB
/ Football
SAF
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ FootballTemple Men's Basketball 2025-26 All Access | Game 12 at Davidson 12.18.2025
Sunday, December 21
Ep. 29: Last Episode of First Semester from David & Amelia
Wednesday, December 17
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Adam Fisher)
Sunday, December 14
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Derrian Ford & Gavin Griffiths)
Sunday, December 14
