Chris Wiesehan talks return to Temple, offensive line play

Temple offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Wiesehan spoke to a small group of reporters after Temple’s 13th spring practice of the season was cut short due to lightning strikes in the area.

This is Wiesehan’s second stop at Temple, with the first being from 2014-18 under former coaches Matt Rhule and Geoff Collins.

Wiesehan spoke about his decision to come back to Temple, the status of the offensive line’s play, and the value in having versatile players up front.

Here are a few excerpts from the press conference.

Wiesehan on what he’s seen from the offensive line this spring:

“I think just growth, communication, understanding the offense, and then just continuity to try to get some continuity out there. And those guys communicate together at a high level.”

Wiesehan on his conversation with head coach Stan Drayton before joining his staff:

“It was a great conversation. And it really didn't start that way. As far as you know, me coming back. ...Really just him asking about Temple and what my feelings on Temple were. I was like, 'Look, coach, if you ever need help, three months, six months, I love the place and I still have kids (players) there and I want to have a good experience. So if you ever need help, I have a good job where I'm at, and we're happy here...I would do anything to help these kids and help this place because we have a lot invested in it right when we started.' We still have Isaac Moore and kids that we recruited and family friends, obviously now through the recruiting process, and, and then it just kind of grew."

Wiesehan on coming back to Temple and reconnecting with former players and friends:

“My wife was ecstatic. We lived at just 2nd and Girard and the better part of our 10-year-old's life was here. All his friends are still here. So it's a really good opportunity to come back. What was it like to reconnect with some of those older guys who you know, I think we're pretty excited to have you back on campus. Well, I don't know if it's a huge reconnection. I recruited both the guys you're referencing, so like Father's Day, Christmas even during the season with the kids. They shoot me a text and those kinds of things. So, I never really lose touch with my players. I always tell the parents whenever you're probably stuck with me for life, and if you look around Eric Lofton comes back and Dion [Dawkins] comes back. Matt Hennessy comes back, and Cole Boozer lived with me last year in Atlanta after he retired from the NFL.”

Wiesehan on the impact of players like Dion Dawkins and Matt Hennessey coming back to speak with the team:

“I think you'd have to ask them, but I think the messaging is the same. They came with a plan. Those are two very different kids, right? Mindsets, initially in the infancy of their careers. And then Dion really fell into that, Hey, this is where I can go, this is what I want to do in my life. I'm listening to everything he says. And that's really what he's echoing in the calls that I get back from him. But like, every week, we bring in guys on Wednesday, and the NFL and a lot of them are talented, but they don't know how to live their lives. He's messaging that to those kids right now. So it's impactful, but it's no different than having Shahbaz Ahmed and, you know, Jovahn Fair, who did the same thing. They came here, they played for me, they were fortunate enough to get to the NFL, and now they're giving back at Temple. So, those are two great resources in the academic piece that can echo the messaging that coach Drayton has and that we all have here globally as a program.”

Wiesehan on what he saw on last year’s game film:

“I just looked at movement patterns of kids. I didn't look at a lot of schemes. I just looked at effort, and you know, how hard they play, and what their motor was like, and then their body mechanics. Scheme-wise they are two different animals, right? And the last staff did what they thought they should do, and, we're going to do what we think we should do, and I didn't want to have too much judgment on what I saw. It take more than more. So, it's just body mechanics.”

Wiesehan on cross-training offensive lineman to play multiple positions:

“We've always moved guys around in practice. I mean, you would come out to practice and Matt Hennessy would be playing right tackle. I move them around to make sure there's constant communication. Then I know, throughout a game week, who can plug and play if an injury occurs. We watched the Houston game as a group, and Jaelin Robinson played three different positions in that game, right, which gives them functionality at the next level. Because guys would say, ‘well, I can't play guard, he can't play tackle, he can't snap the ball.’ And that's what we're trying to do is grow the group and everybody's communication will be enhanced that way as well.”

Wiesehan on the offensive line's progression so far:

“I think they're in great shape. We're on a good trajectory right now.”

Wiesehan on what he’s seen from Adam Klein:

“I think Adam's has always been an innate leader. He's really good above the neck, really studies, and what he does best is, probably, mentor the younger guy, and not just in the room, just generally in life and in academics. He's the guy who can be like, ‘Hey, we have a group chat, right?’ Everybody knows who the academic blinking lights are, who's got to be where they need to be, and he makes sure that they're all corralled and doing the right things, and like Coach Drayton says, when we're a player lead team, we will be a much better team overall.”

Wiesehan on the other players who are showing some growth this spring:

“I think Wisdom Quarshie for sure is really accelerated. I think Rich Rodriguez has really bought in. The first couple of practices I really saw a fire getting lit. I didn't see that as much in winter conditioning from a verbal standpoint. He has become that.”

Wiesehan on offensive tackle Victor Stoffel:

"Victor came to Camp at 230 with the tight ends. My good friend Ed Foley was trying him out. And I love Victor but he can't catch. So I go down to Ed, and I go ‘what are you doing?’ He's like, ‘I'm trying to run the drill.’ You know, he can't catch, let me try. And I said [to Victor] you have a scholarship offer but don't get on the plane from Sweden if you weigh 270 for the official, he showed up at 282. When I came back, he was 284. From that point in January to now he's 300. He's super smart, and he really cares. He's very passionate, and he's had a great spring.”