The most crowded room until June 1: Keeler’s office

Appearances like this one on can’t hurt the season-ticket drive for Temple football, which is currently underway.

Not to say there is nobody in the house, but Temple head coach K.C. Keeler gave the players some time off between now and June 1, the target date for summer camp.

Still, one room is always occupied and that is Keeler’s.

Over the last couple of weeks, Keeler did a very revealing interview (video at the top of this post), where he talked about his being recruited by Temple, and also the time Jalen Hurts and former Temple offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler visited campus to work out.

That was the definition of killing two birds with one stone, getting the Temple message out to the fans and grabbing the kind of publicity that all the ads in the newspaper can’t buy: Associating the Philadelphia Eagles’ star player with Temple football.

Keeler’s interview with “break the huddle” was revealing in the sense that, while some fans on social media bemoan the fact that Temple doesn’t have money to compete with the big boys, Keeler is perfectly satisfied with his resources.

“It’s been amazing,” Keeler said. “I thought this was going to be a great job. It’s beyond what I thought it would be. The resources we have and the recruiting territory which I know to be one of the best in the country.”

Contrast that to what Stan Drayton said after losing 56-6 to Tulane in 2024, where he said Temple couldn’t compete without an infusion of money.

Since then, though, Keeler not only brought in the No. 1 high school class in the American Conference but also the No. 1 transfer portal class in the league. In the same interview, Keeler said Temple was the only team in the country “at this level” (G5) that didn’t lose a single starter in the transfer portal.

That’s a pretty impressive trifecta of player acquisition and retainment and speaks well for some alumni who have stepped up and contributed.

Winning will beget more contributions, bigger crowds and more winning.

That’s the way those things work.

It helps to have the most high-profile NFL player visit the campus every now and then and maybe opens up some Philadelphia Eagles fans who have been priced out of season tickets to think about the other hometown team. Hurts’ appearance at Temple was also covered on local TV newscasts and Temple couldn’t buy that kind of publicity.

Also, he praised both Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard, who have experience in two Big 10 programs.

On Smolik: “He was a guy who was an Elite 11 quarterback. The Penn State guys love him. It’s just the injuries held him back.”

On Sheppard: “When he became available, we said, “Hey, come back home.’ “

On the defensive line: “We’ve really improved dramatically along the defensive line.”

Spreading the word helps sell season tickets, and the more people Keeler can preach to, the more fannies will be in the seats and that’s what is needed now.

Friday: A Fluid Position