Offensive line growth, new faces and other takeaways from Temple Media Day
With a month and a day until Temple kicks its season off against Akron on Sep. 2 at Lincoln Financial Field, the program hosted its annual media day at Edberg Olson Hall.
Temple coach coach Stan Drayton, quarterback E.J. Warner and linebacker Jordan Magee were among those that addressed the media.
One of the key themes of the session was the growth of the offensive line group. The unit was devastated by injuries last season, as the Owls started 10 different offensive line combinations in 2022. Though the Owls lost key pieces in graduates Adam Klein and Isaac Moore, a number of people mentioned how much better the unit has been on Tuesday.
“Out of every position group, they’re the ones that stand out,” graduate running back Edward Saydee said about the offensive line. “At summer workouts, they’re doing extra work every day. They do extra running. When you see them, they look different, they move different. When you see the o-line, they’re together.”
As he mentioned at the American Athletic Conference media day last week, which you can read about here, Drayton mentioned that the Owls gained 50 new players in the offseason. Redshirt-sophomore cornerback and single-digit Jalen McMurray mentioned how different this team felt compared to last year’s squad.
“One word I’d say about this team to describe it is grit,” McMurray said. “This team has a whole bunch of grit. I don’t want to say we have something to prove but, at the same time, we were 3-9 last year. It’s a whole new season. We believe we can compete in every single game. That’s different from last year.”
OwlScoop.com subscribers can click this link to listen to full clips of Drayton and the players speaking to the media on our website.
You can also read excerpts from today’s session below.
Drayton on what he learned from his first year as a head coach:
“How to manage my time. It starts with me. Year 1, I can’t honestly say I did a good job of taking care of myself, and if I don’t take care of myself, I’m not gonna be the product that our players need from me on a daily basis. I had to figure that out.…
“I think there were some mistakes that I made last year that were critical. I think that I was in a rush to find leaders because I understand how important leadership is. What success looks like to me is a player-led football team so I came in with that mindset because that’s what I experienced in smaller settings as a position coach, letting the players take over the culture in that room. I didn’t really know our team very well, I made some mistakes in that respect…
“This year, I’m going to take my time, I’m going to listen to these players, which I probably could have done a better job of last year. There were players that told me who they followed, and those players hadn’t proven that to me at that point of time. When you go to anoint someone that you don’t really know, you have a tendency to make some mistakes. Thank goodness those weren't critical mistakes… Just like I’m uncovering that with you, I uncovered that with our football team. I told them I would be better in that respect.”
Drayton on the health and depth on the roster:
“It depends on the position. A year ago, the offensive line was an issue. I don’t feel as bad this year. A year ago, the d-line wasn’t an issue. It’s a little bit of an issue. I think we recruited better, we’ve got some really good body types coming in. I think a lot of our best talent is going to be new talent. How fast can we get them ready to play? It’s a two-way street. I know my coaches can get them ready; it’s how the player receives it. We’re a lot healthier than we were a year ago. A key factor to our success is to build depth among the team.”
Warner on his relationship with the wide receiver group:
“This offseason, we’ve really grown together, and we’ve grown tighter. We’ve watched a lot of film in here [EO]. We’re always together. We have a group chat, we’re always talking and making jokes. It’s just trying to grow that tight relationship with them because getting closer off the field helps you get closer on the field. I know more about these guys. I know more about these guys: I know how to get on them, I know how to teach them. They know how to get on me and teach me. It’s just different ways to grow that chemistry on the field.”
Magee on how this first day of preseason feels differently than previous years:
“Coach Drayton is doing a lot to know what we’re doing on the field, outside of the field, in the classroom. The atmosphere feels different. Everyone is saying it. You see it around. Of course, that wasn’t the season we wanted last year, but we’re back into it this year, and hopefully, things work out for us.”