Two accused Temple football players had key roles last season

Two Temple football players facing aggravated assault charges were key contributors to the team's 6-6 finish last season.

Dion Dawkins and Haason Reddick have been charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy, and related charges for their alleged involvement in an off-campus fight on Jan. 18.

Temple has suspended both players from the football team. The team issued a statement on Monday and had no further comment on Tuesday.

The two players are free on $10,000 bail pending a preliminary hearing on March 31. Neither player has a criminal record.

According to the police report, the incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 18.

Police said the victim, a 21-year-old man, was at a party at Club 1800 in the Ludlow section when he saw his friend "getting beat up" by people he described as members of the Temple football team. The man told police that he was kicked in the eye while trying to pull his friend away and that he was held back by Dawkins and others. Later, he said, several other people began hitting him, and he got into a fight with Dawkins. Everyone involved in the fight - all Temple students - knew one another, police said.

The victim suffered a fractured orbital bone and was treated at Wills Eye Hospital and Jefferson Hospital.

Both Temple players are 20 years old, and each just completed his sophomore season.

Dawkins is a 6-foot-5, 315-pound left tackle from Rahway (N.J.) High who started 11 of the Owls' 12 games. He missed one game with an ankle injury.

The offensive line allowed just one sack per 19.2 pass attempts, the best mark in school history. Dawkins was a big reason for that success as the blocker for quarterback P.J. Walker's blind side.

Reddick, a 6-1, 225-pound defensive lineman who attended Haddon Heights High, appeared in nine games, making two starts. He missed the final two games because of an arm injury he suffered in practice. Reddick was fifth on the team with seven tackles for losses.

The suspensions came a week before Temple is to open spring practice. The first workout is Monday, leading up to the Cherry and White game on April 25.