Antwain Littleton expects to excel as Temple’s featured back — and make his ‘Madden’ debut one day

When College Football 25 was released in July, more than 11,000 student-athletes granted EA Sports permission to use their name and likeness in the long-awaited video game.

Many players jumped at the chance to be featured, receiving $600 and a copy of the game.

One of Temple’s newest running backs, Maryland transfer Antwain Littleton, was not one of them. He instead sent out two social media posts: one indicating that he wouldn’t be in the game and another saying he planned to be an NFL player in Madden instead.

“Always been a dream to be on a video game, but we got unfinished business,” Littleton posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on July 16.

Littleton has designs on playing at the next level, which is one reason he moved to North Broad. The redshirt junior from Greenbelt, Md., is poised to lead a revamped running back room with much to prove in 2024.

Temple, which opens its season Friday at No. 16 Oklahoma (7:30 p.m., ESPN), ranked last in the American Athletic Conference and 121st in the country in rushing offense last year, averaging about 96 yards per game. The team rushed for more than 100 yards in only four games.

But Littleton is expected to bring a level of physicality the Owls haven’t seen in the Stan Drayton era. In two seasons, Drayton hasn’t found a consistent No. 1 option in the backfield. The Owls have faced injuries and inconsistent play in the running back and offensive line groups, forcing then-quarterback E.J. Warner to throw the second-most passes in the AAC in 2023.

» READ MORE: Stan Drayton won’t name a starting quarterback ahead of Temple’s opener against Oklahoma

“If we’re not able to run the football, it’s really putting us in a one-dimensional situation, which is not going to win us a bunch of ball games,” Drayton said. “We need to establish the run early and often.”

The Owls overhauled the room this offseason by bringing in three transfer backs who could make an immediate impact: Tyrei Washington, Terrez Worthy, and Littleton.

Growing up outside Washington, D.C., Littleton was always one of the biggest kids on the field. He took pride in playing like his father, Antwain Littleton Sr., who was also a “bruiser” in his playing days. Now, the 6-foot-1, 240-pound back does what he can to win his one-on-one battles no matter what it takes.

“If I gotta run through your face and do it, I’ll do it,” Littleton said. “If I gotta juke you out your cleats, so be it.”

Under Drayton, the Owls have typically utilized smaller, speedy backs who struggled in short-yardage situations.

Littleton’s athleticism and, more important, power were crucial to Drayton’s offseason vision. The newest Owl recalled Drayton and running backs coach Tyree Foreman being impressed during their recruitment meeting. They explained that he could have a big role in the program.

“When I came in, they already let me know this was the first time they’ve had a running back with my size and what I can bring to the offense,” Littleton said. “I’m faster; I’m stronger than your average would be. They watched my film. They knew what strengths I have and what weaknesses I need to work on.”

» READ MORE: Five things to know about the Temple Owls before they face Oklahoma

At Maryland, in the Big Ten, Littleton faced some of the best teams in the country, which could come in handy in for the Owls in their opener against No. 16 Oklahoma. He finished with 370 yards on the ground in 2022, including 76 yards against ranked opponents. He burned Michigan State for 120 yards on 19 carries in Maryland’s 27-13 win that season. Last year, he ran for 255 yards and two touchdowns on 69 carries. Now, he gets to show what he can do as a featured back.

“He’s a bigger guy,” said Temple offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf. “He’s a lot more powerful runner than some of the smaller guys we have that are more shifty and will try to make people miss. He does the same thing but then run you over at times, and that style of runner is nice to have as a change-up once in a while. He’s caught the ball out of the backfield; he’s a good blocker, good runner.”

Littleton sees this opportunity at Temple as an opportunity to show he can play at the next level. And that includes seeing his name in Madden very soon.

“We’ve got a motto. We say, ‘Be a pro every day,’” Littleton said. “You want to be trusted and counted on. That goes into everything they teach us while we’re here. That’s the best thing about being an Owl.”