Adam Scheier breaks down special teams and tight ends

Temple special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Adam Scheier spoke to a small group of reporters Saturday afternoon following the Owls’ 11th spring practice of the season.

Scheier helped lead one of the best special teams units in the country last season at Rutgers and is hoping to bring some of that success to a Temple unit that has largely underperformed in recent seasons.

He spoke about working with head coach Stan Drayton, what he looks for when scouting punters, and how some of the tight ends are performing this spring.

Scheier also mentioned that the team will add a second punter at some point, and receivers Amad Anderson, De’Von Fox and Jose Barbon has been working as the primary punt returners.

Here are a few quotes and excerpts from his press conference.

Scheier on talking with Drayton for the first time:

“It just felt very comfortable, you know, got a sense for just how genuine of a dude he was, and really easy to talk to. We share similar values and approaches to coaching and player relationships. Once it got past that, obviously, the football side, the importance of special teams, what to expect from me as a tight end coach, but again one of those deals where I've never met him before. And we had gotten connected and the conversation was very easy, and I think we connected a lot of levels.”

Scheier on what coaching at Temple has been like so far:

“It's been great. As I mentioned, Coach Drayton is an awesome guy to work for. The staff he assembled, this bunch of guys from all over the country, a lot of experience. But really some low-ego guys that work together, enjoy being around each other, and enjoy getting to know these players. And we have one goal, and that's to get Temple football and Temple itself back, and it's been awesome. I'm commuting an hour, 15 minutes a day, but it's nice to be in that car and be excited to get into the building and be around the guys, coaches, the players.”

Scheier on how some of the other positional coaches work on special teams:

“Oh, they're all very actively involved. We have every position coach, save the O-line, D-line coach, now offense coordinator is involved in coaching specialties. So if our players ever questioned the importance when they see the defensive coordinator, their coaching of a position, kickoff cover, or a position on punt, they know it's important. But yeah, they're all actively involved.”

Scheier on keeping the special teams techniques close to what the players are learning on offense and defense:

“Coach (Dan) Sabock, coach (John) Fisher and myself handle all the schemes. Our coaches are not involved with game planning, evaluate and film. They're just in charge of coaching, what we coach them to coach and then, in turn, have the skills. There's a lot of carryover with what they're actually doing offensive defense, and we try to keep the language the same. The techniques is the same or similar to what they're being taught on the offensive side of the ball.”

Scheier on what he has seen from the special teams unit this spring:

"I’ve seen tremendous buy-in from the players. I think they're excited about the energy, attention to detail, and testimony to what we've been able to do as a special teams staff at the places I've been. They've embraced it. They're excited. I lived that firsthand. In 2016, I was on another staff (Wake Forest) and played Temple in a bowl game, and I watched that special teams on the road recruiting in December, and we had drawn them in a bowl game (Military Bowl), and I was trying to recruit. But I was also saying, 'Could we have not drawn a different team?' So, I'm very familiar with what Temple football has been and what Temple TUFF means. And the history of special teams here, Coach [Ed] Foley did a phenomenal job. It's not our job or charge to change the culture. It's our job to just bring the culture back.”

Scheier on how his time at Rutgers can help improve Temple’s special teams:

“I wish I could say it's all scheme, but it's really not. I mean, there are schemes out there, you know, Coach [Greg] Schiano, did a great job of placing an emphasis on special teams, much like what Coach Drayton is doing here. I think when it comes from the top, you get that buy-in from the staff, that buy-in from the players that I mentioned earlier. That's step one, you know, anything beyond the buy-in and the culture, yes, you're going to put a lot of stock in your schemes and your ability to game plan. Take advantage of, as I mentioned earlier, opponent weaknesses, whether it's a scheme flaw, a personnel weakness, but it doesn't start with the schemes. It starts, with the culture within the program, because those guys as much as we try to explain to them that, special teams is gonna help us win games right now. And special teams can help you pursue your career goals to play in the NFL. They didn't come to Temple to play on special teams. So, we got to create that culture, that buy-in, and that was something that Coach Schiano did a great job at Rutgers and something that we're carrying on here.”

Scheier on what he’s looking for when recruiting punters:

“We run a unique scheme, so we're looking for an athletic guy that can punt the ball on the move. We're not a traditional midline pro-style punt team, so we're looking for an athletic guy, whether it's a soccer background, or showing some ability to punt on the move, but it's a scheme that's been very good to me in the past. We've had success, and that's kind of what we're looking for.”

Scheier on what he’s seen from kicker Rory Bell this spring:

“I think Rory has done a nice job. I think he's in a good state mentally, which I think is very important for kickers. We're not over-kicking him. And he's shown the ability. I know he was, I believe, 5-for-5, two years ago and 9-for-16 last year, but it's going to be a very kicker-friendly, kicker-conducive environment. I've been pleased with what he's shown to this point.”

Scheier on the tight end group:

"I was excited the day I met them a week or so after I got the job and excited to work with them. Within your position room, that's your unit. We're trying to build a culture of accountability and, you know, striving towards that single-digit mentality, which is such a big part of the fabric of this program. So obviously, [David Martin-Robinson] is a special talent. My challenge to him is OK, you've taken care of the DMR. Now, let's increase your leadership role and bring the group along with you. But I'm real excited about the group.”

Scheier on what he’s seen from the tight ends besides Martin-Robinson:

"You know, [Jordan Smith] brings a pass-catching ability. And Magnus [Geers] and [James Della Pesca] bring a little bit more physical presence to the group. [Nick Picozzi] is coming off a knee injury, but I think he'll add to it as well. All told, I don't know how the reps will shake out come the first game, but it's a group that I think we can win with.”

Scheier on the benefit of cross-training tight ends to play multiple spots:

“We'd like to cross-train, but ultimately, their skill sets will cater to their skill sets and the more they can do, and the more flexible we can be. I tell our guys all the time, your goal should be for our second tight end to be better than the third wide receiver because then we can live in 12 personnel. We'll roll all personal groups out there, but, the more versatile they can be, we can get into heavy run sets, we can get into 10 or 11 personnel past that. As we get through spring, and we're kind of 11 practices in, so we are getting through spring and kind of seeing what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are. And they're kind of finding their roles.”