Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson
There are times when Temple running back Bernard Pierce doesn’t allow himself to enjoy the moment.
There are times when he doesn’t know how.
After spending the past two years at The Glen Mills Schools in Glen Mills, Pa., the Owls' star freshman running back is constantly learning how to have fun.
“In the back of my head I’m still in that strict environment because where I came from, we weren’t allowed to have fun,” Pierce said. “So, while I see myself having fun or having a good time up here, I make sure it’s limited because I have to make sure I’m ground based and make sure that I stay on top of what’s most important.
“Back at the school I went to, it was really strict 24/7, so the strictness up here really doesn’t get to me much. ... I do find myself being reserved a lot.”
Pierce, who leads the Owls with 1,211 rushing yards and ranks third in the country with 134.6 yards per game, doesn’t talk about why he was sent to Glen Mills, a boarding school for court-adjudicated young men. He broadly paints a picture of a misguided youth who fell in with the wrong crowd and put himself into some bad situations. But the specifics, he won’t discuss.
He will say that Glen Mills saved his life and gave him direction, a direction that pointed him to Temple University.
Temple was one of the first schools that recruited him. When Pierce was sent to Glen Mills his junior year of high school, Temple started talking to him. When Pierce decided to stay for his senior season -- the court had only mandated one year in the facility -- Temple coach Al Golden knew he’d found a player who was committed to turning his life around.
“He didn’t have to go back his senior year; he chose to stay in that environment because it was beneficial to him,” Golden said. “When you look at his support group at home, he’s very close with his mother and his grandmother. They’re a very close-knit family. And I think, more than anything, as much as he’s grown up as a young man, a lot of his choices and a lot of his decisions are driven by the fact that he doesn’t want to disappoint his family.”
Golden wasn’t shy about recruiting at Glen Mills. He said that he’d seen several players leave Glen Mills and go on to have prosperous college careers.
With Pierce, Golden said he saw a young man who was willing to work hard in order to succeed.
“He’s very task oriented and you don’t need to hold his hand,” Golden said. “When it’s time to go to the weight room, he’s in the weight room. When it’s time to go to treatment, he goes to treatment. You don’t really have to repeat things twice. He’s the same way with football. He has a very professional approach, which is incredible for someone his age. He’s one of the most special backs I’ve ever been around, to be quite honest. He’s so talented.”
When Pierce came to Glen Mills prior to his junior year, college was the furthest thing from his mind, but as he progressed, he started to work toward that goal
Pierce said he stuck with Temple because Temple stuck with him from the beginning.
The NCAA cleared Pierce two days before the Villanova contest and it took a few games before Golden felt comfortable making him the starter. Since Pierce entered the starting lineup, he’s rushed for more than 100 yards in all but one game. Earlier in the year, he became the first Temple freshman to rush for 100 yards in three straight games.
Pierce said every now and then he catches himself thinking back to life prior to his junior year of high school and appreciating just how far he’s come.
“I learned to be humble and I learned from my mistakes,” Pierce said. “I got my head on straight and it was a good learning experience, actually. I moved forward with my life, it changed everything around [me]. I started making the right decisions and I ended up here.
“When I first got here it was like, 'Wow, I actually made it.' It makes me appreciate the game more. Basically, I came from nothing and worked my way up.”
There are times when Temple running back Bernard Pierce doesn’t allow himself to enjoy the moment.
There are times when he doesn’t know how.
After spending the past two years at The Glen Mills Schools in Glen Mills, Pa., the Owls' star freshman running back is constantly learning how to have fun.
“In the back of my head I’m still in that strict environment because where I came from, we weren’t allowed to have fun,” Pierce said. “So, while I see myself having fun or having a good time up here, I make sure it’s limited because I have to make sure I’m ground based and make sure that I stay on top of what’s most important.
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| Mitch Stringer/Icon SMI | |
| Temple coach Al Golden calls Bernard Pierce one of the "most special backs" he's ever been around. |
“Back at the school I went to, it was really strict 24/7, so the strictness up here really doesn’t get to me much. ... I do find myself being reserved a lot.”
Pierce, who leads the Owls with 1,211 rushing yards and ranks third in the country with 134.6 yards per game, doesn’t talk about why he was sent to Glen Mills, a boarding school for court-adjudicated young men. He broadly paints a picture of a misguided youth who fell in with the wrong crowd and put himself into some bad situations. But the specifics, he won’t discuss.
He will say that Glen Mills saved his life and gave him direction, a direction that pointed him to Temple University.
Temple was one of the first schools that recruited him. When Pierce was sent to Glen Mills his junior year of high school, Temple started talking to him. When Pierce decided to stay for his senior season -- the court had only mandated one year in the facility -- Temple coach Al Golden knew he’d found a player who was committed to turning his life around.
“He didn’t have to go back his senior year; he chose to stay in that environment because it was beneficial to him,” Golden said. “When you look at his support group at home, he’s very close with his mother and his grandmother. They’re a very close-knit family. And I think, more than anything, as much as he’s grown up as a young man, a lot of his choices and a lot of his decisions are driven by the fact that he doesn’t want to disappoint his family.”
Golden wasn’t shy about recruiting at Glen Mills. He said that he’d seen several players leave Glen Mills and go on to have prosperous college careers.
With Pierce, Golden said he saw a young man who was willing to work hard in order to succeed.
“He’s very task oriented and you don’t need to hold his hand,” Golden said. “When it’s time to go to the weight room, he’s in the weight room. When it’s time to go to treatment, he goes to treatment. You don’t really have to repeat things twice. He’s the same way with football. He has a very professional approach, which is incredible for someone his age. He’s one of the most special backs I’ve ever been around, to be quite honest. He’s so talented.”
When Pierce came to Glen Mills prior to his junior year, college was the furthest thing from his mind, but as he progressed, he started to work toward that goal
Pierce said he stuck with Temple because Temple stuck with him from the beginning.
The NCAA cleared Pierce two days before the Villanova contest and it took a few games before Golden felt comfortable making him the starter. Since Pierce entered the starting lineup, he’s rushed for more than 100 yards in all but one game. Earlier in the year, he became the first Temple freshman to rush for 100 yards in three straight games.
Pierce said every now and then he catches himself thinking back to life prior to his junior year of high school and appreciating just how far he’s come.
“I learned to be humble and I learned from my mistakes,” Pierce said. “I got my head on straight and it was a good learning experience, actually. I moved forward with my life, it changed everything around [me]. I started making the right decisions and I ended up here.
“When I first got here it was like, 'Wow, I actually made it.' It makes me appreciate the game more. Basically, I came from nothing and worked my way up.”
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