Temple Football Program Looking To Continue Building Brand Following Record-Setting NFL Draft
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Temple University football program has sent several players to the NFL. In the last five years, 26 players have gone to the pros. In this year's draft, the Temple Owls set a school record with four players picked by NFL teams.
"A dream come true. They have probably been dreaming about that moment since they first played football," Temple head coach Rod Carey said.
Among the four players drafted was South Jersey's Shaun Bradley. The Temple linebacker was taken in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles.
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"You get drafted by your childhood team," Carey said. "A lot of guys need to politically play correct up to the draft saying 'I will go anywhere.' Secretly, in their mind they are hoping if I'm an Eagles fan, I want to go to the Eagles, and it just happened."
That kind of exposure is invaluable when it comes to recruiting.
"For our program, it's a huge recruiting bump. It's a powerful thing that just happened and we are certainly capitalizing on it," said Carey.
College football is about building a brand. The term "Temple tuff" has expanded way beyond North Philadelphia.
"We have proven, not just this year but in the previous years that Temple, if you come here, there is a clear pathway — if you're good enough and work hard enough — to the NFL," Carey said.
But it's quickly back to reality for Coach Carey. The team should be holding spring practices but he's stuck at home just like the rest of us.