Muhammad Wilkerson: Temple Royalty

Big Mo makes that Temple helmet look real good.

"I'll represent Temple strong. I'm always going to represent the Temple team and show that Temple can continue to produce elite athletes for the next level."
_ Mo Wilkerson

The only place you'll find me at 4 a.m. on any morning is deep in dreamland.
I won't be getting up to watch the Royal Wedding tomorrow.
However, if the NFL draft was being held at 4 a.m. and a Temple player was certain to be picked in the first round, I would be up for that.
Muhammad Wilkerson proves that if you sign a scholarship at Temple and are good enough, you will be fast-tracked to "the league." You will be playing in an NFL stadium in front of an NFL coach and general manager whose kid plays on the same team you do.
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Mike Pouncey gets some love from Steve Addazio. Would
have been nice to see Al Golden or Mark D'Onofrio return
the favor for Muhammad Wilkerson.

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To me, Muhammad Wilkerson is Temple Royalty. He is the only non-BCS player who will be picked in the first round. Let that thought swirl around in your head just a little bit.
Like a Solar Eclipse, those kind of things don't come around often.
(Although I expect that they will happen moreso if Steve Addazio lives up to his reputation as a recruiter.)

Fortunately, neither you nor I will have to lose any sleep over this first-round pick. He made "the league" after only two years at Temple.
It's hard to hide playing from the NFL when you are playing in one of their stadiums.
Having had the pleasure of watching Big Mo for the last two years, I know he will make an impact right away at either the defensive end or defensive tackle position.
There are plenty of DE/DT types who excel at one thing and not at another. Corey Simon was a great run-stopper, not so great at rushing the passer. Trent Cole is great at rushing the passer, not so good at stopping the run.
Wilkerson is great at both things. Plus, with basketball leaping ability at 6-foot-5, he'll knock down more passes than just about anyone else. He's got interchangable skills at both DE and DT and that's got to make him valauble in a sport that has so many injuries.
Plus, he's a terrific human being.
We at Temple know that.
On Sundays, due to the lockout maybe not this fall but certainly not too far into the future, all the football fans in America will soon find that out.