Former Temple RB Alleges Mistreatment by Rod Carey & Staff

By Michael Lipinski, Sports Talk Philly Contributor

To say things have not been going well for Temple football coach Rod Carey might be an understatement. The Owls have not been competitive for the past two seasons enduring blowout loss after blowout loss.  Recruiting has been in the toilet and scholarship players are hitting the transfer portal at a record pace.  Now we might know a bit more about the turmoil on North Broad Street.

Former Rancocas Valley (Mt Holly, NJ) standout Iverson Clement, a transfer from the University of Florida and highly thought of talent, was one of the many scholarship players to leave the Owls this season.  Clement took to Twitter with an explanation of what, in his opinion, happened to him and others at Temple including issues with an assistant coach, a closed door from the head coach, and players being kicked off the team,

Here are Clement’s allegations:

#IJustWannaBall I was FBS 2021 Breakout player to watch and he took that shit from me‼️😤 pic.twitter.com/D3LGqs2VxC

— Iverson Clement🇭🇹 (@Swaggy__ai) November 17, 2021

This the picture The Strength coach printed out and put into my locker after an small incident on the field. It stayed in my locker for 5 months as I never removed because God knows I’m better then that, I would move the picture every morning and grab my clothes to go practice. pic.twitter.com/rONhDelx5b

— Iverson Clement🇭🇹 (@Swaggy__ai) November 17, 2021

@TUCoachCarey you told me to my face when you released me after completing everything asked of you during the suspension. “If anybody asked about the situation you would tell them it was a personal issue and that you were trying to save my career”. @TempleOwls_AD @JasonWingard

— Iverson Clement🇭🇹 (@Swaggy__ai) November 17, 2021

Other former Temple players have chimed in on the allegations:

I respect you bro. Straight up 💯 happy you spoke up. Wish I could have but your voice will help others https://t.co/UtxiU0J6KB

— Re'Mahn Davis (@MrHeisman7) November 17, 2021

RespeK my brotha 🙏🏽 Speaking the pure truth. I wish I could say what I wanna say because the way they did me and some others is saddening https://t.co/KSJz95kZ2x

— Mike Mitchell𓅓⁶ (@Mikeyyy_Mitch) November 17, 2021

Praying for my brother and his future as an athlete. Everything surely does come to light‼️ https://t.co/2geCtB6k3g

— Thomas Joe-Kamara (@ThomasJoeKamar1) November 17, 2021

Is this the case of a coach, even though he recruited Clement, working on changing the players of his team or is it a coach, with Midwestern roots, who simply doesn’t have an understanding of the urban-heavy Northeast Corridor?  Carey gutted a coaching staff that under Matt Rhule and Geoff Collins had numerous local connections and dynamic recruiters.  The only remaining local connections are former St. Joe's Prep head coach and current running backs coach Gabe Infante and former Camden Woodrow Wilson head coach and director of player personnel Preston Brown.  The rest of the staff came to North Philly from Northern Illinois with Carey.   

Either way, Carey, university president Jordan Wingard, and athletic director Arthur Johnson need to address the allegations immediately. If there's more here than just disgruntled former players the decision should be very easy for the Temple brass.