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Published Aug 5, 2021
Preseason camp notebook: Veteran Owls talk about practicing in the Bronx
Dante Collinelli
OwlScoop.com Staff Reporter

With Temple football’s preseason camp officially underway, OwlScoop.com is providing fans with a story after every press conference highlighting updates from the team’s players and coaches to best prepare fans for the start of Temple’s season on Sept. 2 when they travel to Rutgers.

On Thursday, linebacker Will Kwenkeu and wide receivers Jadan Blue and Randle Jones spoke to the media after the team’s first practice from SUNY-Maritime College football facility in The Bronx.

Owls head coach Rod Carey told reporters yesterday at American Athletic Conference Media Day the team was practicing in the Bronx to build team chemistry and force players out of their comfort zone, which already appears to be happening.

Kwenkeu said the team is rooming in a way that forces some players who don’t normally hang around each other to interact.

“It is very different than Philly, especially that we are very isolated like in an island,” Kwenkeu said. “You get to spend a lot of time with each other when you spend that much time you get to know each other. It’s practice so everyone is trying to do extra things.”

Blue believes the Owls being isolated will give them a better opportunity to grow their games, even though it might feel weird to be away from their TV and video games.

“Being up here, I’m enjoying it,” Blue said. “It’s just a way to get away a lot of guys from distractions. I’m happy it’s going to put a lot of guys in an uncomfortable zone. I’m happy about that just because I understand that is the best place to grow.”

The players also shared their thoughts on versatility in the wide receiver room, new starting quarterback D’Wan Mathis and the dynamics of the linebacker group. Here are a few excerpts from the rest of their press conference.

Kwenkeu on the pace of practice:

“It’s more up-tempo. I think it is more, it’s what we need from the transition to the drills to everything. It is similar but also different. I would just say it was a sense of urgency.”

Kwenkeu on the young linebacker group:

“Those guys have come a long way. Them pushing the way that they are pushing is also motivating everyone within the linebacker room. Us older guys, you don’t want to get passed by those guys but eventually, they are coming, and I think this year they are going to have breakout seasons.”

Blue on his rapport with Mathis:

“I’ll say it’s good. It ain’t great but it is good. Only reason I’m not saying it is great is because we are both two people that have high expectations for ourselves, so I am not gonna lie and say it is great because, at the end of the day, we have so much more work to do with the timing of routes. But this camp especially we’ve been able to continuously focus on whenever he’s up to throw, I’m stepping up.”

Blue on the team’s ranking in the AAC preseason poll:

“I seen they had us ranked tenth or something in the conference. That’s a joke. Those type of things, they are motivation for guys like me, and I hope the rest of my teammates feel the same way. I wish they made us eleventh or twelfth or whatever or if it was last, whatever. At the end of the day, I just know that puts more of a chip on my shoulder.”

Blue on the wide receiver room:

“We’ve always looking for Jose [Barbon] to step up and be more explosive. He’s always been starting with us, but he hasn’t had quite the production we would want from him. [De’Von] Fox, he’s going to be the opposite slot to me. He’s one of the toughest guys on the team.”

“We also got guys like Amad Anderson who transferred. Awesome talent, awesome everything. Kwesi [Evans] does everything right. I’m always rooting for him that’s my dog. He’s just one of those people I think is going to have an excellent career no matter what he does.”

Jones on his connection with Mathis:

“I think this camp will help us build a better connection than we already have, that we already established in the spring. So, this camp is definitely going to be a stepping stone to bigger things this season for me and him. We are putting all this work in. All this time goes to football. Me and him just bunker down and work every day and that connection just keeps getting stronger.”

Jones on his reaction to the team practicing in the Bronx:

“I thought it was cool because I’ve never went anywhere else for fall camp. Seeing the different scenery, being around just the guys, I think it will benefit us. It’s a cool experience.”

Jones on the wide receiver’s versatility:

“We have a lot of different guys who can play everywhere. That adds value across the board. If you can play one wide receiver position, you can play all of them. You get that in time. It just adds value to the guys, and it just shows your versatile, and it just shows you can do it all.”

Jones on where he’s been lining up in fall camp:

“I’ve been lining up at three positions. X, F and Z. That’s outside and in the slot. I’m a pretty versatile guy, I can do both in and out. Today I was mostly on the outside.”

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