A day in the life of Temple QB Anthony Russo

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Being a Division One college quarterback obviously takes talent. It also requires a huge time commitment and dedication, and that's not just during the season. We spent a "Day in the Life" with Temple QB Anthony Russo during his so-called "off-season." We found him at the team's football facility at 10th and Diamond Streets very early in the morning.

"I'll get here around 6 a.m., get in the hot tub, foam roll and stretch out. So I'm ready to go", Russo said. His routine consists of throwing passes and weightlifting in the morning. He feels the work he's putting in during the summer will pay dividends during the regular season.

"We preach it all the time. You don't win games in October and November based off the work that you're doing in October and November", Russo said. "When a bowl game comes, conference championship comes, you've already done all that extra work that puts you in a position to be successful."

Russo had plenty of success last season, going 7 and 3 as a starter. But the road here was not easy. A year ago, he was in a four-way battle for the starting job.

"If I wanted to be the best, I had to compete with them, and eventually rise to the top. So competition is huge," the redshirt junior says. "That's something we preach about here. And I was just in a competition. I just had a fight my way through."

He is a homegrown talent from Doylestown. Russo has been a quarterback his whole life and he relishes that leadership role. He said, "I want to be the one that when stuff is not going well, the guys turn to me. Whether it's on the field, off the field or in the weight room, if someone needs help, I want to be the first guy they call."

His day include some hours in Temple's Provost Office where he's doing a summer internship.

"It's not all the yelling and screaming like it is on the field", he said. "I work with a couple of my teammates. We have different problems that we come across on these projects that just like we do in a game, and we have to figure out and help each other out. And I think being able to get that experience in a different type of setting than being out in the field is just going to help me out in the long run."

As for the season outlook, he says, "We have all the right tools, all the ability in the world. If we play how we're supposed to play that there's no reason we shouldn't be able to go win the conference."

Russo and the Owls will open the season August 31 at home against Bucknell.