All 32 NFL teams have been preparing for months for this weekend’s 2024 NFL draft. Team scouts evaluate needs and assess college players’ strengths and weaknesses by attending college games, watching films and interviewing coaches and players leading up to draft day. In fact, seven former Owls are currently working as scouts for NFL teams. 

In March, many of these former Owls returned for Temple football’s annual Pro Day to evaluate members of the Temple football team in various workouts, including position drills, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 40-yard dash and the three-cone drill.  

Evaluating a player’s physical traits is just one part of the process. Scouts also study a prospect’s intangibles, including background, mental processing, leadership, and character on and off the field. 

With the 2024 NFL draft, which will be held April 25–27 in Detroit, on the horizon, here is a closer look at seven Temple Made NFL scouts.  

Tom Bradway, FOX ’18, is an NFL area scout in the northeast region for the Chicago Bears. He was a wide receiver and on special teams for the Owls under former head coaches Matt Rhule and Geoff Collins from 2014 to 2018. He learned valuable lessons at Edberg-Olson Hall, home of the Owls football program, that have impacted his life, both as an NFL scout and beyond.  

“The program taught me the value of hard work, accountability, comfort in uncomfortable situations, and how to sacrifice for the team. While the daily physical grind is not the same and I’ll likely never do another ‘mat drill’ in my life (hopefully), working in the NFL presents challenges of its own. Like a football team, an organization can only function at a high level when everyone pulls in the same direction. Temple football taught me there are no shortcuts and the road to easy street goes through the sewer. I can’t thank my former coaches, teammates and support staff at Temple enough for their role in shaping me. I’m a better husband, son, friend and scout because of my experience as an Owl.”  

Jordan Martin, TYL ’11, has been an area scout for the Detroit Lions since 2021. In his role, he leads the team’s scouting efforts in the northeast region. Martin, a former linebacker on the Owls from 2007 to 2009, had the honor of wearing a single-digit jersey, which is a tribute to those who represent Temple with pride on the field, in the classroom and in the community.  

“Being Temple Tough is a mindset that I carry with me each day that led me to believe nothing would stop me from pursuing my goal of working in the NFL. It means never relying on talent but working hard to master my current role. It’s about having tunnel vision on my tasks, being driven to succeed no matter the circumstances and controlling what I can control. Temple football taught me what dedication and the grind looks like. During tough days on the road, I fall back on those times at 10th and Diamond, and I know how to push through.” 

Nick Papagno, STH ’20, is in his second year as a player personnel assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders after joining the organization in 2021 as a training camp scouting intern. At Temple, he held various roles with the football program, including recruiting, football operations and as an offensive student assistant working with quarterbacks.  

“Temple football set the foundation for my career that helped me get into my position with the Raiders. The program gave me plenty of opportunities to learn and earn more responsibilities from day one. I worked with talented football staff and players who taught me the fundamentals of a successful football program. I credit the early development of skills I use today when connecting with people and player evaluations in the NFL to my experience on 10th and Diamond. Without a doubt, there is an extensive list of Temple alumni who hold positions across the NFL that I rely on as mentors and will continue to be a powerful network as I grow.”  

Ameena Soliman, FOX ’17, STH ’19, is the director of player personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles. She was the first Muslim woman to hold a scout position in the NFL. At Temple, she was a recruiting intern for the Owls football team, a position she held for three seasons from 2015 to 2017. 

“Temple football was my first exposure to working in football. Seeing how everything was run behind the scenes made me realize I wanted to start a football career. I would not have been able to jump from college to the NFL level without everyone I crossed paths with at Temple who taught, developed and encouraged me throughout my career.” 

Rod Streater, a former Owl, was recently named a National Football Service (NFS) scout for the Philadelphia Eagles. As an NFS scout, he sends grades and reports to the National Football Scouting Inc. to help determine which players should be invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. He played wide receiver and was a two-time academic selection with the Owls. As an undrafted rookie in 2012, he persevered to have a successful seven-year career in the NFL, tallying 1,755 yards and 10 touchdowns on 127 receptions in 55 career games.  

“My time at Temple has taught me so many valuable lessons; waking up at 5:30 a.m. to do mat drills in the freezing cold made me mentally strong and tough. Temple has top-tier academic advisors, who taught me how to balance life, football and school. I am thankful for all the relationships that I made.” 

Tim Terry, CLA ’97, is the director of player personnel/pro scouting for the Kansas City Chiefs, who are entering the offseason as the first back-to-back NFL champions in nearly 20 years. Before becoming a top talent evaluator under Chiefs’ general manager Brett Veach, Terry was a linebacker for the Owls from 1992 to 1996 and a former NFL player. 

“Temple has had a monumental influence on my professional career where I learned how to work hard to compete at a high level. My time as an Owl hardened me to learn that no room, building or situation is too big for me to stand equal and confident in. I formulated a desire to be the best and to put in the work to achieve success. There is a degree of Temple pride when you meet a fellow alum because they walked a similar path and know what it took to make it through this program. Temple is a special place for special people who want real-life experiences that will carry you for life.”  

Cyrus Wolford, STH ’22, is a scouting assistant for the Cleveland Browns. His main duties include college scouting, pro scouting and evaluating analytics of players. Wolford began as a football equipment manager for the Owls and worked his way up to an Owls recruiter of high school football players across the country and then as a scouting intern for the team. 

“As an NFL scout, you have long days on the road and long nights in the office where you must be willing to go the extra mile to discover the details of each prospect. And that embodies Temple’s culture: being gritty, tough and getting out there. Temple was big time for putting me in the position to work for the Browns. As an Owl, handling equipment and setting up player locker rooms I got to meet NFL scouts, who helped me get involved in recruiting and taught me how to study game tape and breakdown schemes. To have Owls well represented outside the nest as NFL scouts together means a lot. We are a family with bonds that run deep.”