Friendly Takeover

PHILADELPHIA - Not much prepares a program for the loss of one of its best. A four-year starter and the first three-time captain in team history, replacing center Kyle Friend stood easily as one of the offense's most important tasks entering this spring.

Enter redshirt senior Brendan McGowan. Or, more accurately, meet the student-athlete groomed to take over for the NFL-bound Friend, who himself is beyond convinced his back-up is prepared, both mentally and physically, to serve at center.

"I can't say enough good things about [McGowan]," Friend said. "He's just a guy that just shuts up, does what he has to do, and he doesn't complain. He comes to work everyday. He shows up, takes coaching and is already a leader."

Still, replacing Friend will be no simple assignment. The Temple graduate has generated some serious NFL buzz since the conclusion to the season. Last week at Temple's Pro Day, he recorded 41 bench reps in front of 39 professional scouts, easily surpassing the 34 that stood as the best mark at this year's NFL Combine.

During his four-year stint at Temple, the senior center set the bar high for teammates and coaches, earning a starting role as a true freshman before going 43 consecutive games with playing time. Friend concluded his time with the Owls with multiple honors, most notably his first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection and presence on two national watch lists.

New offensive line coach George DeLeone, a 46-year coaching veteran making his return to Temple football, claims McGowan has a difficult void to take over.

"I think, first of all, he's got big shoes to fill," DeLeone said. "Kyle Friend was an exceptional player, but more than that, he was an exceptional leader. He was the engine that drove the offensive line, both on and off the field. He would hold individual film sessions. He would set tempo for how they were going to practice. His leadership made the group as productive as they were."

Both McGowan and Friend entered the program within the same recruiting class, but proceeded to take wildly different routes. While Friend was one of three true freshmen to even take the field their first year, McGowan watched from the sidelines as a redshirt.

With Friend taking an early hold on the center position, McGowan started 13 games at either guard spot from 2013-14 showcasing his ability to play against top flight competition.

Even with the similarity in position and the constant competition brought on by practice, the two forged a powerful friendship, rooming together during road trips throughout all four years. McGowan even stepped in for an injured Friend in 2015, including four starts and the Halloween matchup against #9 Notre Dame.

"I think [McGowan] is taking control of that offensive line," Friend said. "I'm excited to see where they go. He has the leadership, experience … everything. He stepped in when I got hurt last year and played his butt off."

His production on the field speaks volumes to the legacy Friend built at center, but McGowan remains confident he'll be able to not only maintain the same level of performance, but also create a new identity for this year's offensive line.

"I look at [taking over at center] as continuing [Friend's] legacy, but in the sense that I also want to make my own mark," McGowan said. "I want to take the way he led us last year, his work ethic, the way he attacked film, and continue that. But I want this to be the 2016 O-Line, not the 2015 version."

Looking forward, spring ball has allowed McGowan to set his own tone and rhythm at the position. As practices continue toward the Cherry and White game on April 16, the redshirt senior feels optimistic that both he and the line will make the necessary adjustments to DeLeone's slightly different identification system.

While many challenges lay ahead for McGowan and the offensive line, the coaching staff believes the he has all the tools and experience to take over at the position.

"This is not a kid who just came in off the street," DeLeone said. "This is a guy who started games last year at center, and Temple won all four games that he started. He has also had some other games in his career. [McGowan] is doing a very good job, I love his approach to the game and I think he's heading in a good direction."

The final question many critics and fans have dwelled on is that of leadership, an area Friend not only excelled at, but rather set the bar. Along with Tyler Matakevich at linebacker, Friend was the first three-year captain for the Owls during his time with the program.

With the 2016 season on the horizon, McGowan has the opportunity to carve out his own leadership niche in the coming months. With spring practice underway, though, the first real opening for that endeavor begins now.

As for DeLeone, the largest piece of the McGowan puzzle starts with his presence on the field around the offensive line.

"What remains to be seen [about McGowan] is, that, in all the great leaders that I've been around, is that they were really great players," DeLeone said. "In the heat of battle, the line can look to [McGowan] and say, 'Hey, let's follow him. Let's do it the way he's doing it.' That, obviously, is going to come."

Temple University Athletics

Friendly Takeover

Players Mentioned

Kyle Friend

Tyler Matakevich

Brendan McGowan

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