‘Be the glue:’ The story of how Temple’s defensive line made a pact to return, no matter what

After Temple hired K.C. Keeler to be its head football coach in December, the players were left with decisions to make. In the era of the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness deals, it is not uncommon for there to be mass roster turnover.

So when Keeler arrived on 10th and Diamond, some players began to hop into the portal. However, was one position group was not quite ready to leave.

Temple’s defensive linemen met with Keeler and made a decision together. They formed a pact to stay at Temple, despite a complete staff overhaul. The returning Owls wanted to help fix a once-proud program under new leadership and vowed to do so. Through a tight bond and motivation to win, Temple’s defensive line is helping instill Keeler’s culture and bring success back to North Philadelphia.

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“If we’re going to do it with anybody, we’re going to do it with each other,” said redshirt senior defensive tackle Allan Haye. ”We’re going to stay here and just thug it out and get it done by ourselves. Since everybody else was leaving here and everything was falling apart, we’re just going to be the glue to put the pieces back together.”

Haye, along with linemen Sekou Kromah and Sultan Badmus, headlined the key returners in the defensive trenches. The trio played regular snaps last season; Haye and Kromah were rotational defensive linemen, and Badmus became the only freshman to play in every game.

When head coach Stan Drayton was fired on Nov. 17, 2024, and the transfer portal opened a few weeks later, the three could have taken their talents elsewhere. But they stayed as the new coaching staff was installed around them. They were aware of the pedigree Keeler brought, but the decision to stay did not hinge on the staff. It hinged on each other.

“It was really on us because the bonds we created and stuff,” Haye said. “But when we did hear the head coach that we were going to get was K.C. Keeler, we did do our research, looked up his history, the other schools he’s been at, and he was legit.”

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Most of Temple’s defensive line was set on returning, but one key cog decided to go portaling. Demerick Morris, who spent five years with the Owls, transferred to Oklahoma State. Things did not work out with Morris in Stillwater, Okla., however, and he returned to Temple in the spring.

The group that made the pact welcomed Morris back with open arms. With the experience he had, he seamlessly fit back in.

“Sometimes when you go chase opportunity, it is not really what you think,” Morris said. “So you come back to your brothers, who you are with since Day 1. So it was a smooth transition, but it was just kind of building that trust back and keeping the communication open and just being up for each other.”

With Morris back in the fold, the group began impressing immediately in spring camp, then drew more praise from coaches in the summer. While the linemen impressed on the field, their leadership also began to take full effect.

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One of the long-standing traditions at Temple is the single-digit jersey number. It is one of the highest honors a player can receive, as it shows he emulates “Temple TUFF” on and off the field. In the defensive line corps, two players earned single-digit numbers, Haye and Kromah. It is an honor they do not carry lightly.

“As a single digit, in our heads, because Coach K.C. is telling us that this is our team, we’ve got to make sure everybody’s on point,” Kromah said. “It is up to us to make sure the whole team is on the same page. That’s one thing we’re really working on and making sure everybody is on the right track.”

The defensive linemen have been a bright spot for Temple (2-1) so far.

Kromah has 10 tackles, including 2½ tackles for loss, while Haye, Morris, and the rest of the group have made their presence felt with consistent quarterback pressures. The depth in the corps has made defensive line coach Cedric Calhoun’s job easier.

“Our defense up front is multiplicity,” Calhoun said. “So in this defense, guys have a lot of opportunity to create position flexibility. So, educating them about their IQ and what the defense is all about, because up front, you’ve got to build a defense inside out.”

Players like Haye, Kromah, and Morris will graduate after the season, but they hope the impact they leave will be felt for years to come in Edberg-Olson Hall.

“I want to leave a mark here, Kromah said. “And I want to leave a standard here that everybody should follow.”