Former linebacker Tyler Matakevich heard his name called in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Steelers on Saturday.
Matakevich was the 26th pick of the seventh round and the 246th overall pick.
The linebacker won the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski awards last season after totaling 138 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and five interceptions.
For his career, Matakevich tallied a 493 total tackles, which broke the school record.
Former defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins on Saturday.
Ioannidis was the 13th pick of the fifth round and No. 152 overall.
The defensive lineman was a first team All-American Athletic Conference selection last season when he totaled 39 tackles and 101/2 tackles for loss.
During his time at Temple, Ioannidis totaled 115 tackles and 29 tackles for loss. He also added 10 sacks in his career.
Other Owls’ defensive linemen drafted in the last 15 years include Raheem Brock, Dan Klecko, Terrance Knighton and Muhammad Wilkerson.
Senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich won the Bednarik Award, which is given to the best defensive player in college football, Thursday.
The senior linebacker is the first player in program history to win the award and the first player from a Group of 5 school to win the award.
Monday, Matakevich also won the Bronko Nagurski Award, given to the top defensive player in college football. Other winners include former University of Michigan defensive back and Heisman Trophy Winner Charles Woodson (1997) and former Boston College University linebacker Luke Kuechly (2012).
Matakevich had 126 total tackles and 15 tackles for loss this season. He also has totaled 41/2 sacks and five interceptions.
The linebacker has recorded at least 100 tackles in each of his four seasons at Temple.
The other Bronko Nagurski Award finalists were Penn State senior defensive end Carl Nassib and Alabama senior linebacker Reggie Ragland.
Senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich and six of his teammates were named to the first team Alll-American Athletic Conference.
Matakevich, who was the only first-team all-conference unanimous selection, received The American’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. The senior has 118 tackles this season, including 141/2 tackles for loss, and five interceptions.
“It’s quite an honor,” Matakevich said in a press release. “I said it before and it’s no different now. I’m able to make plays because my coaches put me in the right position and my teammates take on blockers to free me up. I’m prouder that Temple had more all-conference selections than any single award I have received.”
Other first team all-conference defensive selections included redshirt-senior defensive lineman Nate D. Smith, senior defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis and senior defensive back Alex Wells.
On the other side of the ball senior offensive lineman Kyle Friend and Eric Lofton and junior running back Jahad Thomas were named to The American’s first team.
In his first season as the team’s primary running back, Thomas is The American’s No. 3 leading rusher with 1,188 yards and 17 touchdowns.
“It means a lot, knowing the work that the team and I put in during the offseason, to have the success we’re having over the year, and having the chance to play for a championship this week,” Thomas said in a press release. “It’s been great. We’re having so much fun this season, and I love everybody here, and how hard they push me and how we’ve pushed each other to get to this point in the season.”
Other honorees included sophomore defensive back Sean Chandler and junior offensive lineman Dion Dawkins, who received second team honors, and redshirt-junior defensive lineman Haason Reddick, who was an honorable mention.
Due to inclement weather from Hurricane Joaquin, the Owls’ Big East Conference opener against Old Dominion University, the No. 15 team in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association coaches’ poll, in Norfolk, VA Friday has been postponed indefinitely.
Earlier today, the match was pushed up to noon from its original start time of 3 p.m., but it was later suspended because of the weather concerns. Temple’s game Sunday at noon against Liberty University at Geasey Field will be played as scheduled, unless something changes.
The team will now open Big East play against No. 1 Connecticut Friday Oct. 9 at Geasey Field at 2 p.m.
The Owls are 3-7 so far in the 2015 season, and have lost five of their last six games.
Seniors Shauni Kerkhoff and Kelly Farrell were named to the preseason All-Conference Team, the American Athletic Conference announced Tuesday.
Kerkhoff, the Owls’ starting goalkeeper, received an additional honor, being named Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
The Westerville, Ohio native has started 39 straight games in net for Temple over the past two seasons and is the all-time leader in save percentage (.806) and shutouts (17). Last season, Kerkhoff recorded 79 saves to go with six shutouts, while allowing just 1.13 goals per game. She was named to The American’s All-Conference second team for her efforts in 2014.
Farrell, a midfielder, led the Owls in goals with nine and added two assists for a team-high 20 points last season. She has started in 32 of 39 games with Temple since transferring from Old Dominion after her freshman season. The Sicklerville, N.J. native was also a second All-American Athletic conference selection in 2014.
Temple, which finished 11-8-1 overall and 3-5-1 in conference play last season, was picked to finish ninth out of 10 teams in The American’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Wide receiver Adonis Jennings has been cleared to play for Temple this season, a university spokesperson confirmed this afternoon.
The news was first reported by Owlscoop.com earlier today.
Jennings, who was a four-star recruit and the 38th best wide receiver in the 2014 class according to Rivals.com, transferred to Temple in March from the University of Pittsburgh.
He was trying to receive a hardship waiver from the NCAA in order to play this season.
Last season with the Panthers, Jennings saw action in six games, catching six passes for 55 yards.
In his senior year at Timber Creek High School in 2014, the Sicklerville, New Jersey native caught 64 passes for 1,153 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Jennings is the second wideout added for the Owls this offseason. Last month, Robby Anderson rejoined the team after being dismissed from the university due to academic reasons.
Anderson tallied 791 yards and nine touchdowns for Temple in 2013.
On Thursday, the men’s basketball team announced its non-conference schedule for the upcoming season.
Temple, who finished 22-9 last season, will begin non-conference play on Nov. 13 with a trip to Annapolis, Maryland for the Veterans Classic held at the United States Naval Academy. There, the Owls will face the University of North Carolina, who returns its top four scorers from last year’s team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Six days later, the Owls will travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, which takes place on Nov. 19, 20 and 22.
In Puerto Rico, Temple will be joined by Butler University, the University of Miami, the University of Minnesota, Mississippi State University, Missouri State University, Texas Tech University and the University of Utah.
Up next, Temple will host Fairleigh Dickinson University and the University of Delaware on Nov. 29 and Dec. 2, respectively.
After the two-game home stand, the Owls will travel to Madison, Wisconsin on Dec. 5 to face the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who appeared in two straight Final Fours and is returning two of its top four scorers.
The Owls will finish the month of December off with a trip to the University of Pennsylvania on Dec. 9 and back-to-back home games against St. Joseph’s University on Dec. 13 and Delaware State University on Dec. 19.
The Owls will open the new calendar year on Jan. 20 with a trip to The Palestra to face Big 5 rival La Salle University. The team will finish its non-conference play with a home game against Big 5 rival and defending Big East conference champion, Villanova University on Feb. 17.
A number of former Owls will take the floor together once again this Friday at Philadelphia University.
Playing as the North Broad Street Bullies, Temple alumni Khalif Wyatt, Dalton Pepper, Rhalir Hollis-Jefferson, Ramone Moore, T.J. DiLeo and Jacob Godino as well as a handful of other former college players will compete in the first round of The Basketball Tournament.
The Basketball Tournament, is a nation-wide, free-entry, single-elimination tournament. Rosters are composed of all kinds of players including a few ex-NBA talents. The winner of the tournament will take home a $1 million prize.
In their first round match-up of the tournament’s Northeast Regional, the North Broad Street Bullies will take on Friar Nation, a team composed of former players from St. Anthony High School in New Jersey.
The Northeast Regional takes place at Philadelphia University from Friday to Sunday. If the North Broad Street Bullies can win three games they will advance to the Super 17 in Chicago on July 23.
Last season the North Broad Street Bullies advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
For the first time since 2004, the Palestra will host a Philadelphia Big 5 doubleheader. On Jan. 20, 2016, Temple will take on La Salle in the first game of the day followed by a match-up between Penn and St. Joseph’s to honor The Big 5’s 60th anniversary.
“The Athletics Directors wanted to do something very special to celebrate this unique achievement,” said Steve Bilsky, Executive Director of The Big 5, in a university-issued statement. “We thought nothing would capture its history better than a competition to be held in the famed Cathedral of Basketball. The fact that we were able to pull it off in a very challenging college basketball scheduling environment is a credit to the AD’s, coaches, and conference commissioners, all of whom displayed tremendous perseverance and flexibility.”
Temple, La Salle, Penn, St. Joseph’s and Villanova have been squaring off against each other every year since the mid 1950’s.
The Owls defeated Villanova 53-52 the last time a Big 5 doubleheader took place in 2004.
Coach Fran Dunphy has taken part in the rivalry both with the Owls and as the coach at Penn.
“The Big 5 is a special part of the fabric of Philadelphia sports,” Dunphy said in a university-issued statement. “It is held in high regard nationally, and is treasured by Philadelphia college basketball fans locally. We are happy to be taking part in this true Big 5 doubleheader to honor its 60 years of existence.”
The annual match-up between the Owls and the Explorers will take place in the Palestra for the third consecutive season. Temple won last year’s match-up by a score of 58-57.
