As he gets ready to begin his professional football career, being introduced on the biggest of stages during the NFL draft in Philadelphia, Temple's Haason Reddick won't forget the two people who had the biggest influence on his success.
Former Temple head coach Matt Rhule and assistant Francis Brown gave Reddick's improbable career a major boost, but his parents, Rae Lakia and Raymond Matthews, provided the emotional and financial support when times looked bleak.
Reddick, a top prospect at linebacker, set an American Athletic Conference record with 221/2 tackles for losses as a senior. Now he is preparing for his signature moment, almost certainly to come Thursday in the first round of the NFL draft.