Hawaii transfer Kirkwood making impact at Temple

For some, making the decision to leave Hawaii - especially when you are there on someone else's dime - would be the working definition of paradise lost.

That's not the case for Keith Kirkwood.

After he opened some eyes at Hawaii last season, the wide receiver looked to be all set to play an important role for the Rainbow Warriors in 2014.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Kirkwood established himself as a stretch-the-field receiver, catching 12 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman. His best game came against powerful Southern Cal in the season opener, when Kirkwood had two receptions for 84 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown.

But the beautiful beaches, picture-perfect weather, and a full athletic scholarship - among other things - were not enough to convince Kirkwood that he would be better off at Hawaii than he would be a short trip south on the New Jersey Turnpike to Temple.

"The season was right around the corner," said Kirkwood, a former star at Neptune (N.J.) High. "I just woke up one morning and said that was enough. I couldn't stand being away from my family anymore."

Kirkwood transferred to Temple in the summer. He arrived on July 31 and was at summer practice the next day. Not wanting to sit out a full year, he applied for and received a hardship waiver.

Kirkwood's former Hawaii teammate, running back Willis Wilson, drowned last November on a beach in Hawaii. The tragedy left a lasting impression on Kirkwood. Hawaii supported the receiver's decision to leave, and the NCAA approved the waiver.

"He was like a brother, not just to me but to everyone in the program," Kirkwood said of Wilson. "His death reminded me of the importance of family."

He was cleared to play Oct. 10 and made his debut for the Owls the next day in their 35-24 win over Tulsa.

One week later, in the Owls' 31-10 loss to Houston, Kirkwood caught a pair of passes, one of which went for 39 yards and a touchdown.

Before the Tulsa and Houston games, Kirkwood was not listed on the depth chart. That has changed this week as Temple (4-2, 2-1 American Athletic Conference) prepares to visit Central Florida (4-2, 2-0). Kirkwood is listed behind No. 3 receiver Brandon Shippen.

"He's going to be a really, really good player for us," Temple coach Matt Rhule said. "We'd like to have 85-90 plays a game and get him involved in a whole bunch of them. But he's a fast learner, and he's really talented. He's going to do more and more for us each week."