Tigers, Wildcats near top for Temple

Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst running back Tony Temple continues to take the recruiting process in stride.

"There have been no real new developments," the 5-foot-10, 192-pound Temple said. "I keep getting stuff from the same schools. I'm just taking it all in."

Instead of worrying too much about the recruiting process, the four-star rated Temple is focusing on making himself a better player for the upcoming football season.

"It has been more about me just working out and getting ready for this fall. I want to make it as good as I can, since it is my last one here at Rockhurst."

Colleges have seen quite a bit of Temple as he came on to the scene three years ago.

“He was every bit as good as I thought he could be,” Rockhurst coach Tony Severino said of his talented running back. “We see him every day and he still amazes us. Every time we think we’ve seen the best, he shows us something better.”

That something better included a junior year where he rushed for 2,034 yards and 35 touchdowns for the undefeated Missouri Class 6A champions. He has already rushed for 4,334 yards in his career.

"I think I am a lot stronger than a lot of people think," Temple said. "I don’t believe in getting tackled by a single guy. I can stop and start and be back at full speed so quickly. A lot like a Barry Sanders and Darren Sproles type of running."

Speaking of Sproles, Temple is looking forward to seeing how he stacks up his senior season against Sproles' final year in the Kansas City Metro area.

"A lot have been waiting for my senior year so I can see how I stack up against what Darren did his final year or so in high school. It is quite an honor to be compared to guys like him. He has proven what he did in high school was not a fluke. It is nice to see guys like him succeed on the next level."

Temple did not want to name a favorite school, but did hint that Missouri and Kansas State were near the top of his list.

"I've been to Missouri and K-State this spring. They are definitely both up there on my list. I don't want to name a leader, but they are up there."

Then almost as quickly as one of his moves on the field, Temple realized he needed to cover his words and he changed directions.

"They are definitely up there in my top ten schools. I have a lot of options in front of me and a lot of different types of schools. So, I don't want to limit it at this point. I am a mature young man. I want to take my time and keep my priorities straight. You only get one time to go through this thing in your life, and I want to make sure I do it right."