Temple University Athletics
Returning to Their Roots- Temple Hires Former Football Players
3.29.19 | Football
PHILADELPHIA- Temple Football alumni Keith Holt and Shahbaz Ahmed have returned to North Broad Street and have done so in a completely different part of their lives. The two didn't come back together, but have similar goals in mind as they both accepted positions to work in the athletics department.
Holt was named director of compliance & student affairs in January 2019, and Ahmed was hired as an academic advisor for the Temple athletics department in February 2019. Both are natives of South Jersey, and called Temple University home for four years while playing football and earning their degrees.
Both men agree that it is quite refreshing to be back in familiar territory.
"Feels great to be back. It's really great to see how everything has evolved from the last time I was on campus as a student-athlete," said Holt. "It's awesome to see how much this place has grown. It's a true testament to how well the university is doing overall. I am happy to be a part of it."
"It's fantastic to be back here, it's one of those things where I feel like I grew up here," said Ahmed. "It's very rewarding to see the growth of this place not only in football but on campus as a whole."
Holt played 15 games and recorded 49 tackles in his freshman and sophomore year before an injury sidelined him for good. After his injury, Holt decided to gear his major toward his ailment. He earned his bachelor's degree in exercise physiology and then pursued graduate programs. In graduate school, Holt then began exploring the world of collegiate athletics - specifically compliance. This led to a graduate assistantship and eventually a full-time job at Oregon State. Holt then departed Oregon State to return home, to Temple, and is more than happy to be back.
"This job had been on my radar since it came up," he said. "There was definitely a feeling of nostalgia walking on campus and working down at the football facility, it's the same practice field that I used to play on. You definitely feel more invested in the operation as a whole because this is where I came from."
Ahmed had a different journey that led him back to the place he said he grew up. Ahmed played four seasons and 39 career games from 2012-2015. He started 13 games in his final season and was named to the Joe Moore Award Honor Roll as one of the top offensive lines in the country. He was also named the Brooks-Irvine College Football Player of the Year. While earning his degree, he also served as an academic mentor in the Resnick Center. Following graduation, Ahmed wanted a shot at the NFL. He spent the summer as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons before being waived and acquired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Following his time with the Steelers, Ahmed decided it was time to transition into something else. With his political science degree, Ahmed secured an internship with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and Congressman Donald Norcross. Ahmed also worked as a mental health technician before returning to Temple.
"My journey back here has definitely zig-zagged and there have been a lot of different detours," said Ahmed. "But it all comes full-circle coming back and working here."
Ahmed said his experience at Temple as a student-athlete helps provide these current student-athletes a perspective they aren't necessarily accustomed to.
"I definitely bring a different outlook being a former football player here. I know what these guys are going through and I have been there and done all that," he said. "Whether it's on the field or in the classroom we've walked the same steps on this campus. So I am just trying to relay all the knowledge I have, so I can give proper support to these guys."
Senior Associate AD of Academics & Career Services, Justin Miller, is happy to have a Temple alumni in his department.
"It's a great a testament not only to Shahbaz but to the program itself," said Miller. "This program has developed great young men, and to bring someone back who was such a great representative of the program as a player, has been rewarding for us as a staff and the student-athletes. It means a lot to me, but more importantly, it means a lot to the program and shows what our guys are like."
Holt and Ahmed take their experiences and expertise and help provide Temple athletics with top-notch academic and compliance support. The two are able to relate and connect to athletes on a unique level in order to provide the best services to student-athletes.
"I am definitely fully back to being a Temple Owl," concluded Holt. "It just means a little bit more to me now."
