It was bright, blazing and almost unbearably warm. Still, Hunter Knighton smiled.
As the Hurricanes offensive lineman emerged from the locker room not long after Miami wrapped up its fourth workout of fall camp — one held on a sweltering Sunday afternoon — Knighton looked healthy, happy and ready to compete for a job on a unit transitioning after the loss of three starters.
That alone is reason for Miami to celebrate its first real victory of the 2015 season.
Eighteen months ago, Knighton collapsed during an offseason workout on a relatively cool February morning. He was rushed to a local hospital where he spent 12 days in a coma, 12 days during which his family, teammates and coaches wondered not just whether he'd ever play football again, but whether he'd emerge from the darkness; 12 days of sheer uncertainty during which Knighton's body changed as a result of the heatstroke he suffered.