Inside the Owls: Abdul Smith makes hard-hitting impression at Temple

Temple safety Abdul Smith has been flying under the radar during the team's 0-2 start.

Smith, who graduated with a degree in communications over the summer, is putting together a highlight reel early on. With 19 tackles, he is second on the team behind linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who has 22.

Against Notre Dame, Smith came screaming in from his safety position and delivered a hit that knocked running back George Atkinson out of the game.

On Saturday, in a disappointing loss to Houston, he was just as big.

After the Cougars recovered a Temple fumble at the 8-yard line, the Owls made a goal-line stand that concluded when Smith teamed with Matakevich to stop Houston running back Justin Hicks for no gain at the Temple 1.

With the game still within reach in the fourth quarter, Smith's jarring hit on Houston quarterback John O'Korn forced a fumble at the Temple 3 that was recovered by cornerback Anthony Robey.

"He's made some really nice plays for us in both games," coach Matt Rhule said of Smith, who transferred from Rutgers after redshirting as a freshman in 2009. "He has brought a physical presence to our secondary that we were looking for."

Smith and Robey have provided leadership for the Owls, who hope to earn their first win of the season Saturday against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Fordham.

When Smith, a Trenton native, graduated from the Perkiomen School, he was high on a lot of schools' recruiting lists. Smith eventually chose Rutgers over Temple and several others.

But he never felt at home at Rutgers, and before his freshman year was over he already had decided to leave. He felt a closeness to Rhule, who was the recruiting coordinator at Temple in 2007, and a bond developed that is strong to this day.

"I thought Temple was a good place to be, and so did my father," Smith said. "I kind of feel that I missed out from the start because I think I would have been a lot further down the road if I came here in the first place."

Rhule sees in Smith someone who wants to give back to the football program and help the younger players.

Freshman Jihaad Pretlow and redshirt freshman Stephaun Marshall will continue to see significant time in the secondary both this season and in the foreseeable future.

Rhule said that Smith has set an example for the younger defensive backs on how to prepare for college life on the field and in the classroom.

"We have brought an NFL approach to defense and offense here, and in order to do that you have to buy in, study it, and own it," Rhule said. "Guys like Abdul have completely done that. And so when you do that, you see how well they do that it becomes contagious.

"[Young players] are seeing a guy who is performing at a high level, and they know exactly what he's doing. He's going to leave a really nice legacy for those guys."