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5 Best Temple Football Father-Son Combinations

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5 Best Temple Football Father-Son Combinations

Temple football,
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Few universities have the kind of father and son traditions that Temple football has had. When a fullback named Mark Bright went under-recruited out of a suburban Philadelphia high school, then Temple head coach Wayne Hardin extended him a scholarship, saying, “his dad, Jim, played at Temple and we take care of our own.” These five father-and-son combinations have taken care of Temple.

5. Jim Cooper Sr. and Jim Cooper Jr.

Temple football, Notre Dame football,
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5. Jim Cooper Sr. and Jim Cooper Jr.

Temple football, Notre Dame football,
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When Temple played at Notre Dame (pictured) in the 2013 season, the starting kicker for the Owls was Jim Cooper Jr. If that name sounded familiar to Owl fans, it should have because Jim Cooper Sr.’s 36-yard field goal beat West Virginia, 19-17, in November of 1984.

4. Kareem Gilliard and Kareem Ali Jr.

Kareem Ali Jr., Temple,
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4. Kareem Gilliard and Kareem Ali Jr.

Kareem Ali Jr., Temple,
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When he played at Temple under the name Kareem Gilliard, he was a starting wide receiver for the Owls from the 1996 through 1998 seasons. As an undergrad, he met another great athlete at Temple, track star Tasha Minkins, and the product of that union was Kareem Ali Jr., shown wearing No. 17 in the Army All-American game, a four-star recruit who could earn a starting spot this year as a true freshman.

3. Zach Dixon and Raheem Brock

Dan Klecko, Raheem Brock,
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3. Zach Dixon and Raheem Brock

Dan Klecko, Raheem Brock,
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Zach Dixon held the Temple single-season rushing record (1,153 yards) for six years until then Heisman Trophy runner-up Paul Palmer broke it in 1984. He fathered Super Bowl winning defensive end Raheem Brock (79), shown here celebrating fellow Temple product Dan Klecko (61) after the Jan. 21, 2007 win over the New England Patriots for the AFC championship.

2. Jim Bright and Mark Bright

Giants Stadium,
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2. Jim Bright and Mark Bright

Giants Stadium,
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Like the Coopers with kicking, Jim Bright and Mark Bright played the same position, fullback, at Temple. Jim was the star of the 1950 team that tied Penn State, 7-7. Mark was named the MVP of the 1979 Garden State Bowl for a Temple team that beat California, 28-17, before 55,878 fans at Giants Stadium (pictured).

1. Joe Klecko and Dan Klecko

Joe Klecko, New York Jets,
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1. Joe Klecko and Dan Klecko

Joe Klecko, New York Jets,
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Dan Klecko had perhaps the hardest act to follow as Joe Klecko was an All-American nose guard at Temple and later an All-Pro at three positions (nose guard, tackle and end) for the New York Jets. While at Temple, Klecko led the Owls to 14-straight wins but Dan made his own mark by becoming the Big East defensive player of the year in the 2002 season and has three more Super Bowl rings than his dad.

Mike Gibson is a writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.
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