Four More Owls Join the NFL Ranks as UDFAs

4.26.20 | Football

Full Fair Bio Full Franklin Bio Full Levine Bio Full Wright Bio

PHILADELPHIA - After a weekend in which the Temple Owls had a school record four players drafted into the NFL [C Matt Hennessy (Atlanta, 3^rd round), CB Harrison Hand (Minnesota, 5^th), LB Shaun Bradley (Philadelphia, 6^th), and LB Chapelle Russell (Tampa Bay, 7^th)] the roster of former Owls in the NFL continues to grow. By the end of the weekend OL Jovahn Fair (Kansas City), LB Sam Franklin (Carolina), DE Dana Levine (NY Giants), and WR Isaiah Wright (Washington), had signed undrafted free agent contracts, bringing the total from the Class of 2019 to eight in the NFL.

Fair played in 45 career games and started 42 over his five year career at Temple. He was the first player in school history to start four bowl games. Fair was awarded an honorary single-digit at the beginning of fall camp his final season. He played in all 13 games in both 2018 and 2019. Fair helped anchor the middle of an experienced offensive line that was durable and helped provide much assistance in the running and passing game throughout the season. Fair earned second team all-conference honors in 2018 and 2019 for his leadership and abilities in the trenches. Fair played in the NFLPA Bowl alongside his teammate Chapelle Russell following their final season together.

"Jovahn is one of those guys who I can see playing the league for ten years," said Temple head coach Rod Carey. "If he gets with a situation that can bring him along, I think he's a special player."

Franklin was a work horse and consistent player on the Owls' defense in his four year career. Franklin played in 53 career games, one away from tying the all-time games played record, and played in a multitude of positions on the defensive side of the ball every year. Franklin earned a single-digit jersey at the beginning of camp before the 2019 season. He joined his fellow linebackers, Shaun Bradley and Chappelle Russell, as single-digit players as the three led the defense throughout their final season as a unit. Franklin earned second team all-conference honors in 2019 as well. In his career, he registered 194 tackles, 24 TFLs, eight sacks, two interceptions, 10 PBUs, three fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble in his four seasons. Because of his play his senior season, Franklin earned a spot in the Tropical Bowl to play in front of NFL scouts.

"I think the Panthers will find the same thing we did about Sam," said Carey. "He can play three to five positions on defense and play them really, really well. His versatility will be something that teams will covet along with his personality and what a good teammate he is."

Levine played in 39 career games as an Owl including all 13 in his final season. At defensive end, Levine helped set the edge and provide ample pass rush assistance throughout his career. In his career, he totaled 91 tackles, 18.5 TFLs, 11 sacks, and four forced fumbles. Levine had a career high 11 TFLs and 5.5 sacks his senior season.

"Dana kept getting better and better as the course of the season went on," said Carey. "I would expect that he will show the Giants that same improvement and make a mark on them as well."

Wright played in 50 games in his four-year career with the Owls. He was used in many different ways on offense and was a dynamic threat in the punt and kick return game for Temple. At the beginning of fall camp in 2019, Wright earned a single-digit jersey. In his career, he had 552 rushing yards, 1,552 receiving yards, and 2,473 combined return yards for a total of 4,577 all-purpose yards. Wright earned All-America honors in 2018 and was named AAC Special Teams Player of the Year as well as first team all-conference. In 2018, he was also second in the nation with 1,122 combined kick return yards and was one of two players to return both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the same season. In 2017, Wright scored five different ways (receiving, rushing, passing, kickoff return & punt return), making him just the sixth player in the FBS to do so in the past decade. Because of his standout career, Wright participated in the East West Shrine Game after his senior season.

"Isaiah is really explosive," said Carey. "He can score a touchdown with the ball in his hands at any moment. I know that the Redskins will see that same thing that we saw in him. I look forward to watching him on Sundays."

That makes 29 Owls in the NFL, and 27 joining in just the last five seasons. These new pros join the following former Owls currently active in the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals – Michael Dogbe, Haason Reddick
Atlanta Falcons – Matt Hennessy
Baltimore Ravens – Tavon Young
Buffalo Bills – Dion Dawkins, Tyler Matakevich
Carolina Panthers - Robby Anderson, Sam Franklin, Keith Kirkwood, Colin Thompson, Phillip Walker, Tahir Whitehead
Cincinnati Bengals – Sharif Finch
Dallas Cowboys - Ventell Bryant
Denver Broncos – Brandon McManus
Houston Texans – Jacob Martin
Indianapolis Colts – Rock Ya-Sin
Jacksonville Jaguars – Ryquell Armstead
Kansas City Chiefs – Jovahn Fair
Miami Dolphins – Chris Myarick
Minnesota Vikings – Harrison Hand
New York Giants – Sean Chandler, Dana Levine
New York Jets – Nate Hairston
Philadelphia Eagles – Shaun Bradley
San Francisco 49ers – Jullian Taylor
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Chapelle Russell
Washington Redskins – Matt Ioannidis, Isaiah Wright

Draft Notes:

This is the first time in school history that four players were drafted from Temple. Temple had three players in a single draft eight times previously.
Temple has had multiple players drafted for the fifth straight year – the only non-Power 5 school to do that. Just 17 P5 schools match that feat.
Only 15 schools had more than Temple's four players selected in 2020 – all P5 schools. Four the fourth time in five years, no other school outside of the P5 produced more draftees than Temple.
Since 2015, Temple has had 15 players selected in the NFL Draft which is more than any other AAC team. Memphis is next with 11. The five other teams from the East Division total 22 – Cincinnati (6), ECU (1), UCF (7), UConn (3), and USF (5).
Seventeen American Athletic Conference players were chosen in the 2020 NFL Draft, which ranks as the league's second-highest total since the conference's formation in 2013. Ten of the 12 AAC schools produced at least one pick in this year's draft, while four schools – Temple, Memphis, Tulsa and Tulane – had multiple picks. Temple led the way with a program-record four selections.
The last 12 players who were drafted from Temple – dating back to Tahir Whitehead as the 138^th selection in 2012 – remain active in the NFL. Only eight schools – Michigan (19), Iowa (17), Wisconsin (17), Ohio State (16), Texas A&M (16), Clemson (15), Georgia (14), and Penn State (14) have a larger streak. Only two schools have a longer streak – ECU (2010) and Tulsa (2011) - but their number of players, four and one, respectively, pale in comparison.
Among schools in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, Temple's draft haul of 15 picks since 2015 exceeds those of Boston College (12), Virginia Tech (12), Maryland (11), Pittsburgh (11), Virginia (7), Syracuse (5), Rutgers (5), UMass (3), UConn (3), Navy (2). Only Penn State's 23 is higher.
Temple has now had at least one player drafted in 10 straight decades dating back to the 1930s (the NFL Draft started in 1935). The 2010s tied the 1980s for most players drafted with 16.
Temple has now produced at least one NFL-caliber defensive back in each of the past five years – Hand, Rock Ya-Sin (Indianapolis, 2019), Sean Chandler (NY Giants, 2018), Nate Hairston (Indianapolis, 2017), and Tavon Young (Baltimore, 2016).
This is the fourth time Temple had two players from the same position drafted into the NFL. (The most recent was 2016 (DLs Jacob Martin and Jullian Taylor). Also 1986 (OLs John Rienstra, Lloyd Yancey) and 1955 (RBs Joe Stout, Tex Robinson).
Temple's 2016 AAC Championship team has now placed 37 players into the professional ranks.This year's eight join: RB Ryquell Armstead, OL Cole Boozer, WR Ventell Bryant, SAF Sean Chandler, OL Dion Dawkins, TE Romond Deloatch, DT Michael Dogbe, WR Marshall Ellick, DE Avery Ellis, DE Sharif Finch, CB Nate Hairston, WR Adonis Jennings, OL Leon Johnson, WR Keith Kirkwood, DE Jacob Martin, DE Praise Martin-Oguike, TE Chris Myarick, SAF Delvon Randall, DE Haason Reddick, FB Rob Ritrovato, OL Jaelin Robinson, FB Nick Sharga, WR Cortrelle Simpson, DT Jullian Taylor, CB Derrek Thomas, RB Jahad Thomas, TE Colin Thompson, QB Phillip Walker, LB Avery Williams.