Blue White Illustrated

They are the kind of players their coach truly appreciates. James Franklin wants enthusiasm. He wants excitement. He wants passion. Cornerbacks John Reid and Grant Haley deliver it. Haley, a 5-foot-9 speedster from At- lanta, arrived last year, one of several players who flipped from Vanderbilt to Penn State aCer Franklin was named the Nittany Lions' head coach. Reid, a four- star prospect from the Philadelphia area, enrolled over the summer and made an outstanding first impression with his all- business approach to the game and his obvious athletic talent. "Both came in very driven, very fo- cused, very mature for their experience level and for their age," Franklin said. Haley had been penciled in as the day- one starter aCer playing in 13 games and making 18 tackles last season. But he got hurt in preseason camp, and Reid was called upon to fill in for him in the Nit- tany Lions' first two games against Tem- ple and Buffalo. In doing so, Reid became one of the relatively few players in Penn State history to start his very first game as a freshman. That wasn't how anyone planned it, but Franklin was confident that Reid would bring the requisite focus and intensity to his job as a starter. "Every play for that kid is like the Super Bowl," the coach said. "He is so compet- itive. He doesn't want a pass completed ever on him in practice. When he breaks it up or intercepts it, he goes crazy like he just won the Super Bowl." Reid finished with five tackles against the Owls, and he made one solo stop against Buffalo. But he and Haley made their biggest impact of the season in Penn State's 28-3 victory over Rutgers last weekend. Haley, returning to action aCer missing the team's first two games entirely, had two tackles, a pass break-up and an interception. Reid, coming on in relief, had two tackles, a pass break-up, a fumble recovery and an interception that he returned 44 yards. Reid's strong performance didn't catch Penn State's coaching staff by surprise. During his recruitment, the staff had been struck by his diligent approach to film work. While visiting Penn State for the Lasch Bash barbecue, a recruiting event during which prospects are en- couraged to relax and enjoy the football program's hospitality, Reid spent much of the aCernoon watching film and quizzing defensive coordinator Bob Shoop about schematics. That approach has certainly served him well so far at Penn State, as he has been one of the team's defensive standouts through three games. "He's locked in," Franklin said. "It's school, it's football and it's his girlfriend. That's it. That is his entire focus, and I think that's also why you're seeing [him receive] an opportunity to play. "We decide to play guys [based on three criteria]: Are they physically ready? Are they mentally ready? And are they emo- tionally ready? He's a guy who all three of those boxes could be checked." Haley has brought a similar focus to his job in the secondary. The son of two doc- tors – mother Carla is a pediatrician and father Leon supervises the emergency room at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hos- pital – he immediately took an interest in the Lions aCer Franklin was hired. "He asked me to come up for a visit," Haley recalled. "Immediately I said yes, because my mom went to Penn State. I kind of grew up watching Penn State football all the time because she's such a diehard fan, so getting a chance to come up here was very special to me and her. "When I got here, one of the first things I saw was the stadium lights, and that was really like the defining moment for me. I just kind of fell in love." Haley went on to become one of the Lions' biggest freshman contributors last season, shining on both defense and spe- cial teams. His contributions as a defen- sive back included a pick-six against Temple that helped Penn State become bowl-eligible. As a special teams player, his 32 kickoff returns were the most in school history, and his 659 return yards (20.6 per attempt) rank second on the school's all-time single-season list. Haley's approach to the game is similar to Reid's. They're all-business from Sun- day to Friday, but on Saturday their de- meanor changes. Said Haley, "When we get on the field, it's like this whole other person comes out of us. We have this drive to make the team better and do what we need to do to make ourselves better and really help individuals out, too." M A T T   H E R B | M A T T @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 13 The hot corners John Reid and Grant Haley help spark Penn State's defensive surge KNIGHT MOVES Haley cradles an inter- ception in Penn State's 28-3 victory over Rutgers. It was the sophomore cornerback's first start of the season after missing the team's first two games with an injury. Photo by Steve Manuel

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