Elliot Seifert is in good company. Prior to Thursday’s season opener, only seniors Seifert, a redshirt offensive tackle, and linebacker Ryan Gore had secured spots in the football team’s starting lineup.
If Elliot Seifert’s summer practices weren’t going well enough, it got that much better when he learned Sports Illustrated had named him Temple’s Big Man on Campus, labeling
him as the Owls’ top returning player.
The 6-7, 300-pound Reading native doesn’t allow stuff like that to go to his head. Not when there is a 12-game season to be played. And especially not when there’s a 15-year trend of losing seasons to reverse.
The Temple Nnews: Were you contacted by “Sports Illustrated” before they sent the magazine to print?
Seifert: No. Actually, [Temple booster] Dr. [Peter] Chodoff told me about it. I was unaware
of it completely.
TTNn: What does an honor like that mean to you?
Seifert: I mean, it’s cool but I have to take it in stride. It’s more important for me to perform out on the field than to read what people print about me.
TTNn: What would lead “Sports Illustrated” to give you such an honor – was it because you’re an upperclassman on a predominantly young team?
Seifert: I’m sure my experience and playing time had something to do with why they gave it to me. You know what? Yeah, that’s probably what it was.
TTNn: Did Dr. Chodoff show you Sports Illustrated’s ranking of Temple – 119th out of 119 Division I-A programs?
Seifert: He didn’t say anything about it, but that [ranking] doesn’t mean anything. We don’t focus on numbers or the papers. We focus on ourselves and go out everyday and work hard. The papers mean nothing.
TTNn: Why not?
Seifert: The intensity we bring in practice,
it’s all there. We get our reps in and that’s a main difference since I’ve been here. And there will be a difference in how we perform this year.
-Christopher A. Vito
Be the first to comment