After five years at LSU, Collis Temple III will be leaving Baton Rouge with two degrees, several awards, fond memories and high hopes for the future.
Temple is well-known for his play on the basketball court, but he also has earned the respect of many for his off the court activities.
“Being a student athlete would be more than enough for most people, but I just felt like I needed to get involved in the LSU community outside of basketball and school,” Temple said.
Temple ran for University Court justice twice, winning once, and served as president of TAF Collegiate Club and the student athlete advisory board.
“I’ve really enjoyed doing all that extra curricular stuff beyond just basketball,” he said.
He also has received the award for being LSU Volunteer of the Year twice and said he is supposed to receive it again this year. Temple said he is actively involved with many community organizations, where he helps out by making appearances, giving speeches and anything else that is asked of him.
“The Baton Rouge community has given back to me. so I have to give back,” Temple said.
While he spent his free time helping others, Temple often was dealing with his own adversity. His injuries received lots of media attention, but very few were aware of other hard times he overcame.
Temple said there were times when he felt he was not receiving a fair shot, and he considered transferring, but after meeting with the coaches and his family, he decided to stick it out.
“I believe it was the best decision for me personally,” he said. “My family and my support system had a big part in me staying here and hanging on when things got tough. I really have to give them a lot of credit for that.”
Temple also has a background at LSU, which spurred him to choose LSU and stay. His grandfather wanted to attend LSU but was unable to. His father was the first black player to integrate the LSU basketball team.
“LSU was all I really knew,” he said. “For me to be able to follow in my dad’s footsteps, I felt it was an honor more than anything.”
At the end of the semester he will have some time left before he can receive his Ph.D., but he will have two degrees and has not yet decided on a plan to finish the Ph.D. program.
Temple did not see his early graduation as a record-setter but just following through on his plans.
“I planned how many hours I was going to take, and it turned out, I’d graduate in three years,” Temple said. “It was just something that I did because I felt it was something I was supposed to be doing.”
Throughout college, Temple spent most of his time with academics or basketball. He rarely went out or attended social events. He said it was a habit he developed as a child.
“When I was little, I was either reading a book or shooting basketball,” Temple said. “Those are the two things that stuck with me and carried me throughout my career at LSU.”
Since his junior year in high school, Temple has been waking up at 4:30 or 5 a.m. several days a week working on his shot.
“I just felt I needed to put in extra time beyond practice, so that’s what I did,” he said.
His drive and desire to be in the NBA and prove critics wrong got him out of bed early in the morning and caused him to work hard, Temple said.
“I know a whole lot of people doubted me,” he said. “They said I wasn’t going to be a major contributor at LSU, and now they say I can’t make it in the NBA. I use those negatives forces as motivation.”
Temple believes his NBA dream will come true in the next couple of years. He is not sure what path he will take but feels he will play in the NBA regardless if he is drafted in June.
“Because I didn’t have an unbelievable standout season, the route I take may be a little different,” he said. “It’s time for me to go work as hard as I possibly can. I really feel like I’ll play in the NBA because it’s something that has always been in my heart.”
Although his LSU career did not end the way he would of liked, he said he is still proud of what the team accomplished this season.
“The way our team fought back is something to be remembered, and I will the rest of my life,” Temple said.
Looking back through his LSU career, Temple attributes his time here as one that made him mature through adversity and good times.
“I really grew up and became a man while I’ve been here at LSU,” he said.
Temple says he believes although things may not of always happened like he would of liked, he believed it all happened for a reason that will benefit him down the road.
“God works in mysterious ways,” Temple said. “I’m really looking forward to the future with great expectations, and a lot of that has to do with my belief in God.”