Here’s how one unlikely play helped spark Penn State CB John Reid’s turnaround
Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith didn’t hesitate in pinpointing the turning point for John Reid. It all started with a mistake.
Reid, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last season, was slow to rebound this year — maybe partly because he had another “setback” early in the season, Smith said Thursday — but the cornerback made noticeable strides in the Ohio State game. With one clear exception, of course: He whiffed on a tackle in the fourth quarter, on K.J. Hill’s game-winning 24-yard touchdown.
He wasn’t the only defender to miss a tackle on that play. But, at the next practice, the redshirt junior perfectionist was locked in.
“After the Ohio State game, John Reid came into practice and he made up his mind,” Smith said. “He wanted to do things a little bit differently. And, from that moment on, he’s been like the old John Reid.”
Smith said that missed tackle weighed on him. “And he vowed that would never happen to him again,” he added. So far, it hasn’t. So far, Reid’s improvement has been unmistakeable in October.
He played one of his best games of the season against Michigan State and turned in another solid performance against Indiana, when he made an open-field tackle and kept the receiver in bounds on the final play of the game. He’s played both opposite Amani Oruwariye and in the nickel, adding depth to the defensive backfield.
That’s not lost on his teammates, including Oruwariye.
“He’s definitely back and comfortable,” Oruwariye said. “The past couple weeks, he definitely has played a lot better, up to his standard, but I think he’s completely comfortable. He’s being a leader. He’s making plays. He’s playing passionate, and that’s just how John Reid is.”
Reid struggled in the opener against Appalachian State, blowing his coverage on several plays. He didn’t participate in the next two games and then struggled mightily against Illinois. But the bye came at just the right time. He rested and, although he was far from perfect against Ohio State, he still showed flashes.
Once that game was over, there was a clear change in Reid. Smith said he saw it at that first practice afterward, and defensive coordinator Brent Pry said five days after that game that he could see Reid “coming around.” And, Pry added at the time, “I expect him to play his best football game to date this weekend.”
Reid did against Michigan State. Since then, he’s looked like the 2016 version of himself, when he made headlines for his obsession with game film and was an honorable mention on the All-Big Ten team.
Reid is finally Reid again. For coaches and teammates, though, that was always a matter of when and not if.
“Just like anyone coming back from injury, you’re a little bit cautious at the beginning because you’re not sure how your leg’s going to respond,” middle linebacker Jan Johnson said Wednesday. “Now, I think he’s got back his confidence, and he’s playing at a better level than he was playing before.”
Added James Franklin: “We all know he had a year off in some ways, so I’m very pleased with John — and I think he’s going to continue to trend in the right direction.”
This story was originally published October 25, 2018 at 1:13 PM.