Episcopal Academy grad Klein makes presence felt on Temple offensive line
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (BVM) — When Adam Klein was a junior at Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, he probably wasn’t fully expecting where he would be now. Well, maybe he knew that he would be with the Temple Owls football program after doing well in the Owls’ Memorial Day camp in 2017 where he was offered a scholarship by the team. However, even for him, it was unlikely to have foreseen what would become of him at Temple.
At Episcopal Academy, Klein was a force for the Churchmen as he stood 6-foot-5 and weighed 265 pounds as the team’s starting tackle. Klein earned second team all-conference honors as a sophomore and junior and would be named first team all-conference as a senior. By the time he was being recruited for colleges, he was rated as a two-star recruit by 247Sports and the No. 41 player in Pennsylvania in the Class of 2018. This drew the interest of not only Temple, but a number of other Division I programs including Virginia, Army, Air Force and Buffalo, among others.
“As my recruiting process went on, [Temple] had a couple of 10-win seasons, they were ranked in the Top 25,” Klein said. “So as my recruiting process went on my junior and senior year, Temple became a well-known program in my area so that was something that definitely caught my eye.”
At the end of the day, Klein just felt the deepest connection with Temple. Not only was the team close to his hometown, only about 35 minutes away, but also the atmosphere of the team was exactly what Klein was looking for.
“As I went on visits to Temple you could really see the brotherhood there,” Klein said. “They talk about the tough culture and you could just see how guys were always held accountable. … I think it’s awesome. I love being able to be close to home. I’m a big, family-oriented guy. Me and my family are really, really close and it means a lot to me for them to be able to come out to every home game. It’s just a really, really good feeling.”
#OOU18 #Domina']['18 @CoachCollins @CoachWiesehan @Booof38 pic.twitter.com/Bsz8UB41qj
— Bombsquad (@_Kleindaddy_) July 10, 2017
The Owls were lucky to have him as well. Shortly after joining the team, Klein would be thrust into game action, seeing playing time in the team’s first game against Villanova. But he really began making a difference when he earned his first start against Tulsa on Sept. 20, 2018. The freshman would not only play, but be a mainstay for the Owls offensive line over the next two seasons.
“It was definitely crazy; it was surreal,” Klein said. “That was a huge moment for me. That first play I kind of took it all in when I walked out there, but after that it was just trusting the techniques I learned at the time. Once you get out there though football is football. It was very surreal playing as a freshman because you never think that’s going to happen. … I was really excited to get the chance.”
Klein would start the next nine games at right tackle for Temple, including the team’s Independence Bowl appearance against Duke. For his contributions as a freshman, Klein would earn the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Rookie of the Year. Also strong in the classroom, Klein would earn a spot on the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.
“It was amazing to be recognized for all the hard work,” Klein said. “It was really a blessing to see my name up there as the ECAC Rookie of the Year. It was a product of hard work and I was very proud of myself and I was really thankful for my teammates and coaches. I wouldn’t have been there without them.”
The next season, Klein would start all 13 games for the Owls at right tackle. Klein would be a key cog for a unit that helped the Temple offense finish the season with an average of 392 yards, 137.2 rushing and 254.8 passing, 26.3 points per game and only surrendered 21 sacks. The team would finish with an 8-5 record and an appearance in the Military Bowl against North Carolina.
This year, expectations were high for Klein coming into the season. For the first time in his career, the 6-foot-5, 290 pound offensive lineman was named to the Athlon’s preseason All-American Athletic Conference, earning fourth-team recognition. The new year also brought a new position for Klein as he was bumped inside to right guard for the first time in his Temple career.
“It’s been a pretty smooth transition,” Klein said. “I’ve had a couple of good games. I’ve been pretty happy with the transition. It was definitely a change, but a good change.”
Although he would miss the first game of the season against Navy due to injury, ending a streak of 23 straight starts, Klein would be back on the field for the Owls their next game against University of South Florida. Unfortunately, the injury bug would bite Klein again as he would miss the team’s next two games against Memphis and Tulane, but would return to action for the team’s Nov. 7 matchup against SMU, once again bringing stability to the offensive front.
“It was my first time really dealing with an injury and not playing a game since the beginning of high school,” Klein said. “It was something that was definitely different to me. … It’s frustrating not being out with the guys playing on Saturdays. But I just trusted the trainers and I knew I’d get back in due time and I was happy to get back out there on Saturday and help the team.”
As one of the team’s biggest consistencies on either side of the ball, Klein has been able to prove that his recruitment was no fluke from early on. While he may not have been expecting to see the field in such a large role as a freshman, the experience has helped him become the smart and flexible offensive player he is for Temple. For Klein, it is an honor to not only represent his college well, but also his nearby high school.
“I love being able to play close to home,” Klein said. “I love being able to represent Episcopal Academy. It’s a really prestigious high school. I love being associated with that name and Temple, a really prestigious college. I love being able to stay at home and help as much as I can.”
Although his long starting streak has now ended, Owls fans should be used to seeing big No. 74 opening up holes for the offense. For Klein, it’s the same thing he’s been doing since he was a junior at Episcopal Academy trying to get the attention of Temple scouts during the team’s Memorial Day camp in 2017. For the Owls, they are happy the big man is on their team, not somebody else’s.
