"I am really interested in getting back there and showing everybody that I'm capable of going through a complete season without injury," said Pierce, who was the MAC's freshman of the year in 2009 after leading the conference in rushing and setting a handful of Temple school records. "There have been times when I'm like, 'Wow, if only I'd stayed healthy I could have contributed to this game or that game.' "
Last summer, before Temple broke camp, Pierce suffered a head injury that relegated him to a backup role at the outset behind the speedy Matt Brown, a 5-5, 167-pound dynamo who led the team with 830 rushing yards, scoring seven touchdowns.
Pierce started only five games and finished with 728 yards and a team-high 10 TDs.
A strong runner who is shifty and quick, Pierce, out with a hamstring injury, wasn't in the lineup for Temple the final two games of last season as the team tried to clinch the MAC East Division crown. But the Owls dropped both outings to finish 8-4, and they were passed over by the bowl selection committees despite their win total.
The year before, when the Owls went 9-4 and made their first postseason appearance in 30 years, at the EagleBank Bowl in Washington, Pierce, out with a shoulder injury, also missed time in Temple's last two outings. And in a 30-21 loss to UCLA in the bowl game, Pierce had 53 yards on 12 carries before aggravating the injury just before halftime and going to the bench for good.
Pierce said he upgraded his workout routine during the offseason.
"The workouts were more intense, more high-tempo, more explosive," said Pierce, who gave credit to strength and conditioning coach Frank Piraino for his input. "And I did more hamstring work this year. I had to step my conditioning up, step my strength up and everything, just to be able to cope with his workouts."
