Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Zamani Feelings
There and Back Again: Journeyman at Tight End
10.13.16 | Football
PHILADELPHIA — The city of Philadelphia has developed a national reputation over the past century, that of hard-nosed, blue-collar work and an unyielding, relentless grit. Just a glance at senior Temple tight end Colin Thompson and his connection with the city is clear, just from a physical perspective.
The grizzled beard, the light-hearted smile and the towering 6' 4" build all scream Philadelphia. And even though Thompson originally left his hometown for the Florida swamps, the senior managed to find his way back to the Delaware Valley.
As the old saying goes, you can take the boy out of Philadelphia, but you can never take the Philly out of the boy.
"Florida was a little different campus from Philadelphia, but I've grown to love Temple," Thompson said. "I have really enjoyed my experience here, and I'm a proud graduate. It's been a journey for sure, football's a journey. I've had some up-and-downs in my health, but I'm finally healthy and I look forward to a great senior year."
A big-time recruit out of local high school Archbishop Wood, Thompson took his talents down south into SEC country to kickoff his collegiate career, joining a Florida program headed by Will Muschamp. As the consensus No. 2 tight end in the nation, Thompson naturally had a slew of offers, but the draw of a historical powerhouse like the Gators grabbed Thompson's attention.
"I was one of the heaviest tight ends coming out that year, and that allowed me to get a lot of scholarships because I was in shape," Thompson concluded. "The recruitment to Florida was crazy. I was lucky enough to have a handful of offers to really cool places. They throw the kitchen sink at you. They're on you, calling you whenever they can."
Unfortunately, the injury bug tagged the tight end early on, forcing a medical reshirt as a freshman and benching him just three games into his sophomore season. After making the decision to switch programs, Thompson's ties back to the northeast plus his relationship with Temple head coach Matt Rhule jumped the Owls into position for landing the transfer.
And the rest is history.
"It was a little different when I transferred [to Temple]," Thompson said. "It was just me, and I was trying to put together a handful of schools that I was interested in. I was kind of shopping myself, and Coach Rhule was the first one to call. I couldn't say no to him."
As a senior with a multitude of experience and a flexible play style, Rhule has gushed over Thompson on many occasions. His addition to the offense may not have translated into notable stats, but his impact is clear within the ground game as brilliant blocking has made the tight end invaluable.
"Colin Thompson is really smart, so he can be versatile and you can move him around," Rhule said. "He is a really good blocker…he blocks the point of attack, and he has good hands. He can get open and has tremendous body control, so he is a true hybrid tight end. He's not just a pass catcher, and he's not just a run blocker. He can sort of do it all."
Against Penn State two weeks ago, the head coach expressed his pride in having such an asset on the field, attracting defenders to create space for wideouts down field all the while throwing a number of significant blocks.
"You take that [versatility] and combine it with some real toughness, like he's playing on an ankle sprain most guys wouldn't play on, and he wasn't limping around out there," the head coach continued. "He made big blocks on those touchdowns, on those speed sweeps, and he blocked the guy one-on-one. The guy had leverage. He probably played his finest football game since he's been here and he played it while having an ankle sprain that some guy may have said, 'Coach I can't do it,' but he just went out there and played."
Even with the limited statistical impact on the passing game, Thompson discussed how his role within the offense has remained relatively consistent since he debuted for the Owls in 2014, serving as a niche player in both facets of the offense.
"[My role] has remained similar throughout my career here. Blocking, short yardage, goal line stuff, route running, lots of play-action pass. I've been able to have two great offensive coordinators that have taught me a ton, and obviously an unbelievable tight end coach. I just know the game a lot better than I used to, and that's allowed me to succeed better on the field."
In terms of the separation between the nationally renowned Florida program and the smaller — but still notable — Temple, Thompson pointed out that the talent at both universities is actually relatively similar.
From his perspective, the intensity of the competition amongst athletes remains at a similar level for both teams.
"Everyone's a big recruit down there," Thompson said. "You have to compete everyday, there's nothing given to you. All the accolades in high school were great, but it doesn't really matter. I learned that the hard way. Just like at Florida, we compete here everyday. You have to earn your spot everyday. When you have a bad day, someone is right behind you who's working harder than you are, so you can't have any days off. Competing-wise, nothing has changed between here and there."
One big difference between Philadelphia and Gainesville: the food. As a self-proclaimed foodie, Thompson's knowledge of the city's cuisine is a combination of both deep and unique, allowing a spread unlike what any small town could offer.
"I just love to eat," Thompson joked. "It's been a good thing and a bad thing when it comes to my weight. I just love to share with family and friends, and anytime my family comes to the city, I love to take them out."
The grizzled beard, the light-hearted smile and the towering 6' 4" build all scream Philadelphia. And even though Thompson originally left his hometown for the Florida swamps, the senior managed to find his way back to the Delaware Valley.
As the old saying goes, you can take the boy out of Philadelphia, but you can never take the Philly out of the boy.
"Florida was a little different campus from Philadelphia, but I've grown to love Temple," Thompson said. "I have really enjoyed my experience here, and I'm a proud graduate. It's been a journey for sure, football's a journey. I've had some up-and-downs in my health, but I'm finally healthy and I look forward to a great senior year."
A big-time recruit out of local high school Archbishop Wood, Thompson took his talents down south into SEC country to kickoff his collegiate career, joining a Florida program headed by Will Muschamp. As the consensus No. 2 tight end in the nation, Thompson naturally had a slew of offers, but the draw of a historical powerhouse like the Gators grabbed Thompson's attention.
"I was one of the heaviest tight ends coming out that year, and that allowed me to get a lot of scholarships because I was in shape," Thompson concluded. "The recruitment to Florida was crazy. I was lucky enough to have a handful of offers to really cool places. They throw the kitchen sink at you. They're on you, calling you whenever they can."
Unfortunately, the injury bug tagged the tight end early on, forcing a medical reshirt as a freshman and benching him just three games into his sophomore season. After making the decision to switch programs, Thompson's ties back to the northeast plus his relationship with Temple head coach Matt Rhule jumped the Owls into position for landing the transfer.
And the rest is history.
"It was a little different when I transferred [to Temple]," Thompson said. "It was just me, and I was trying to put together a handful of schools that I was interested in. I was kind of shopping myself, and Coach Rhule was the first one to call. I couldn't say no to him."
As a senior with a multitude of experience and a flexible play style, Rhule has gushed over Thompson on many occasions. His addition to the offense may not have translated into notable stats, but his impact is clear within the ground game as brilliant blocking has made the tight end invaluable.
"Colin Thompson is really smart, so he can be versatile and you can move him around," Rhule said. "He is a really good blocker…he blocks the point of attack, and he has good hands. He can get open and has tremendous body control, so he is a true hybrid tight end. He's not just a pass catcher, and he's not just a run blocker. He can sort of do it all."
Against Penn State two weeks ago, the head coach expressed his pride in having such an asset on the field, attracting defenders to create space for wideouts down field all the while throwing a number of significant blocks.
"You take that [versatility] and combine it with some real toughness, like he's playing on an ankle sprain most guys wouldn't play on, and he wasn't limping around out there," the head coach continued. "He made big blocks on those touchdowns, on those speed sweeps, and he blocked the guy one-on-one. The guy had leverage. He probably played his finest football game since he's been here and he played it while having an ankle sprain that some guy may have said, 'Coach I can't do it,' but he just went out there and played."
Even with the limited statistical impact on the passing game, Thompson discussed how his role within the offense has remained relatively consistent since he debuted for the Owls in 2014, serving as a niche player in both facets of the offense.
"[My role] has remained similar throughout my career here. Blocking, short yardage, goal line stuff, route running, lots of play-action pass. I've been able to have two great offensive coordinators that have taught me a ton, and obviously an unbelievable tight end coach. I just know the game a lot better than I used to, and that's allowed me to succeed better on the field."
In terms of the separation between the nationally renowned Florida program and the smaller — but still notable — Temple, Thompson pointed out that the talent at both universities is actually relatively similar.
From his perspective, the intensity of the competition amongst athletes remains at a similar level for both teams.
"Everyone's a big recruit down there," Thompson said. "You have to compete everyday, there's nothing given to you. All the accolades in high school were great, but it doesn't really matter. I learned that the hard way. Just like at Florida, we compete here everyday. You have to earn your spot everyday. When you have a bad day, someone is right behind you who's working harder than you are, so you can't have any days off. Competing-wise, nothing has changed between here and there."
One big difference between Philadelphia and Gainesville: the food. As a self-proclaimed foodie, Thompson's knowledge of the city's cuisine is a combination of both deep and unique, allowing a spread unlike what any small town could offer.
"I just love to eat," Thompson joked. "It's been a good thing and a bad thing when it comes to my weight. I just love to share with family and friends, and anytime my family comes to the city, I love to take them out."
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