In Philadelphia, sports are more than entertainment—they’re a shared language. From highlights to heartbreaks, the underdog mentality is part of the city’s identity. For Jordan Spector, a former Temple football player and proud kinesiology graduate of what is now the Barnett College of Public Health, that culture became the foundation of a career he never planned: professional sports artist.
Spector arrived at Temple intending to follow a clinical path. He studied kinesiology as a stepping stone to physical therapy, inspired by his own experiences. “I got into physical therapy because I got hurt playing football multiple times,” he said. “Seeing how physical therapists could restore hope and improve outcomes made me want to pursue it as a career.”
With that goal in mind, Spector came to Temple for the city and its opportunities, eventually earning a spot as a walk-on with the football team. He played two seasons before an injury ended his time on the field.
The setback pushed him back toward a talent he’d always had in the background: making art. Spector had always drawn, but after leaving football, he began taking it more seriously. What started as small projects and print sales around 2015 slowly grew into a successful business.
“I still have passion for PT,” he said. “But art was the path I kept going down, just staying consistent and seeing where it would take me.”
By 2018, he formed an LLC. A year later, as he finished his physical therapy doctorate, the art side was taking off. “It got to the point where I just had to make that decision,” Spector said. “I’m just going for it—and here we are.”
Today, he runs Spector Sports Art, a small but growing operation that includes collaborations with professional athletes, major sports brands, and organizations like the Philadelphia Eagles, the Phillies, and Fanatics. His work ranges from trading cards and commissioned pieces to large-scale murals, including a 60-foot installation at the Golden auction house headquarters.
Though his career moved in a different direction than he expected, Spector says his time at Temple still shapes his approach. The discipline of a demanding curriculum, the sacrifices required in graduate school, and the connections he built through football and classes all carried over into his business. “There’s definitely benefits from both,” he said. “I have no regrets.”
He also sees himself as part of the same underdog culture that defines both Temple and Philadelphia sports. “I think that identity comes naturally. There was always that chip on my shoulder, especially as an athlete,” he said. That mindset ultimately served as a source of motivation. “You just keep working, keep putting yourself out there, and stay open to those connections—because you never know where they’re going to lead.”
Catch Jordan Spector live on February 28: Join us on campus for the Young Alumni Professional Development Conference. Click here for details!
