UNIVERSITY PARK
On Sept. 1, when he and his teammates bounce up and down in the Beaver Stadium tunnel as "Zombie Nation" reverberates off the metal bleachers, forgive John Reid for getting a little emotional. By that point, the vision of returning to the field will have replayed in his head for 512 days.
When Reid fell to the ground holding his left knee last April, he wasn't scared. He was upset and frustrated. A non-contact injury, later diagnosed as an ACL tear, ended Reid's 2017 season before it even started. Months removed from an encouraging Rose Bowl performance with offseason College Football Playoff hopes blossoming, the game-changing cornerback was forced to become a bystander — a helpful teammate who wore a red cap and headset, not a white helmet.