Temple's Tavon Young cultivates maturity into leadership role
Once viewed as a hothead, senior cornerback has turned into one of the most respectedplayers on the Owls.
TAVON YOUNG still remembers his days as a freshman with Temple football, when he often let his fiery passion for winning devolve into unhealthy outbursts that earned him early exits from practice.
After playing in 10 games and starting two of them during his first season in 2012 under then-coach Steve Addazio, the cornerback sat down with newly appointed coach Matt Rhule to discuss his future with the program.
"The first spring coach Rhule was here, we had end-of-the-year meetings, and he told me basically coach Addazio said I'm a guy that talks back to coaches sometimes or a guy that didn't listen all the time," Young said. "When he said that to me, I really just thought about it, like, I got to step up and just mature."
The 5-10, 180-pound cornerback was one of only four true freshmen to earn a starting role in Addazio's final year at Temple, along with linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who played in every game and became the first freshman in school history to record 100 tackles in a season (101).
Both came into the school as young, talented players with great potential, but Matakevich was much quicker in adopting a leadership role at an early stage in his career.
He knew Young needed only a little bit of prodding to get him to take his role to the next level.
"I just sat down and told him, like, 'Bro, we got to get this thing going in the right direction,' " Matakevich said. "I take care of the linebackers, Matt [Ioannidis] will take care of the [defensive] linemen, Will Hayes will take care of the safeties, and Tavon's got the corners.
"It's sort of been one of those things where those guys look up to us, so it's our job to get them going in the right direction, get them doing their job."
Last season, Young took the proverbial next step that Rhule and Matakevich knew he could, leading the Owls with a career-high four interceptions as the team's premier defensive back. He also ranked first in the American Athletic Conference with 153 interception return yards and third in passes defended (13).
He will put those credentials on the line this season, as well, for the Owls, who are predicted to finish third in the AAC's East Division. They open their season Sept. 5 when they host Penn State at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Oxon Hill, Md., product was awarded the honor of wearing the No. 1 jersey - given to the toughest player on the team - for Opening Day 2014 at Vanderbilt, and he responded with his best game as an Owl, intercepting two passes in a 37-7 win.
Young donned the No. 1 jersey for seven of Temple's first eight games last year before the team decided he deserved to wear it for the rest of the season, which resulted in a bowl-eligible record of 6-6.
Over the span of two years, Young has gone from a player who could hardly control his own emotions to one of the most respected players on his team.
And Rhule's coaching philosophy has been crucial in the senior captain's transformation.
"I just think at some point he realized, 'I could be really good. All I have to do is listen,' " Rhule said. "Like I tell the guys: I don't care what music you listen to, I don't care who you date, I don't care how you wear your hair, I don't care what kind of sneakers you wear. I care if you go to class, treat people with respect, and how much you give to football.
"And I think once he got that - I'm just asking you to be a good football player, man, I'm not asking you all this other stuff - he bought in and he has run with it."
Last week, Young stood up and addressed his teammates during a meeting; a privilege Rhule doesn't give to just anyone. And Sunday night, he flashed his newfound leadership again when the entire team went to see newly released "Straight Outta Compton."
"When I let a guy talk to the team, it means I think guys in the back, the freshmen, there's something they need to hear," Rhule said. "He's a guy, like, we go to the movies last night, he's the guy whispering in [their] ear, like, 'Let's make sure we leave this place better than we found it,' and it happens.
"It's a credit to him and his family, but he's really developed."