"It's been my whole life. I went to school here and I never left," said Al Shrier as he was reflecting on his extraordinary career in a 2013 interview.
It was a career that spanned 60 years, beginning in 1953.
During that long, long ride he touched generations of student athletes.
"I always looked at him as the cool guy with the briefcase," said Temple basketball associate head coach Aaron McKie, who had a relationship with Shrier dating back to his playing days.
"He was just an awesome man and he was great to talk to and he was very welcoming when I joined this program. So he's gonna be missed by the Temple family, and my heart and condolences go out to his family," McKie said.
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Larry Dougherty, Temple University's associate athletic director for strategic communications, viewed Shrier as a mentor and a second father.
"When I go on the road with Temple, people ask about Al Shrier. They don't ask about the president of the university, they say how's Al Shrier doing. He touched so many lives just being kind and caring," Dougherty said.
Shrier is enshrined in several halls of fame, including Temple's. To commemorate 60 years of service, the university surprised Shrier by hoisting a banner with his name and an image of his trademark briefcase up to the rafters of the Liacouras Center.
"They did a great job of hiding it from me. Actually, I was shocked. I said I don't believe what I'm seeing. And it was just great when everybody said look up, look up. I couldn't believe it," Shrier said in the 2013 interview.