How about restoring the T for Temple U tradition?

The 2024 team could learn a lot from the 2016 team and this is how the players sung T for Temple U after a big win over USF that year. This is a tradition both home and away after every Temple win.

Since I haven’t been around for many wins over the last three years and missed this year’s Utah State game in person, decided to saunter on down to hear the team sing “T for Temple U” after the 20-10 win over Tulsa on Saturday.

After football wins for as long as I can remember, the team breaks out into a loud “T for Temple U” rendition joining the band after the alma mater.

The alma mater is the B side.

Here is Temple running back Montel Harris leading the 2012 team in a post-game rendition of “T for Temple U” in front of the Temple band who made to to Army that day. Harris had 351 yards and 7 touchdowns in that game.

T for Temple U is the A side.

I should have known better.

The team dutifully hung around to hear the school band sing the alma mater and swung to and fro but when the band fired up T for Temple U the team rushed off into the locker room.

Geez, got to stick around to sing T for Temple U with the band and fans.

Heck, even in road games, the players themselves sang the song “A Cappella” and the fans sung along.

When did that change?

The most important part of this video is from the 2:04 mark on. Notice the players getting into it.

I know it’s a little thing, but someone has got to tell Stan Drayton to keep the troops around for the most enjoyable post-game tradition at Temple.

Two songs, not one. The second song is the most important one. The alma mater is the appetizer. T for Temple U is the main course. Don’t go to a 5-star restaurant, pick at the salad and get up and leave.

Maybe getting out of the habit of winning got them out of that habit of celebrating but both habits are something that need to bridge the current and the past. Drayton needs to get with his leadership council tomorrow and mention, hey guys, we plan to win Saturday and, after winning, let’s enjoy the experience with the fans who bother to make the trip.

Another crazy thing about Saturday was the stupid white helmets. They look horrible and are not Temple helmets. Besides the odd look, they have numbers on them and that’s department of redundancy redundant. The players have the numbers on the front and back of their jerseys. They don’t need numbers on the helmet. Also Saturday was the day that the school honored the 1979 Garden State Bowl champions.

How about playing that game wearing the same exact uniforms, including the iconic Cherry “TEMPLE” helmets?

Would that have been too much to ask?

No.

For now, though, I’ll settle for restoring the long tradition of the football team singing T for Temple U with the fans and not just inside the locker room afterward.

Friday: ECU Preview