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P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> T H E 2 0 1 5 S E A S O N season, Franklin said. "It took him a little while to bounce back." "I kind of got sick right at the worst time," Reeder said. "I felt like I had a really good summer working out and just prepar- ing myself for the season. Then by the time the season came I wasn't myself for the first part of camp. It was tough, but I fought through it." Reeder credits his coaches and the med- ical training staff for standing by him and easing him back into full health in time for the season opener vs. Temple, during which he tallied three tackles. He said he has put the sickness behind him and now has regained his strength and stamina. "It's nice that I feel like myself again," Reeder added. "I'm playing like I know I can play. I just have to keep rolling now." With Mike linebacker Nyeem Wartman- White having suffered a season-ending knee injury in week one and Jason Cabinda filling the subsequent vacancy in the mid- dle, Reeder is now listed on Penn State's depth chart as the starting Will LB. It may have appeared before the season that Reeder might not be physically ready for such a role, but he vows that he is now. And he attributes his readiness to his redshirt year. It wasn't always enjoyable sitting out last year, because, he said, "I was one of the few guys who would practice hard all week [with the first and second teams] and not play in the games. I traveled to every game. I prepared like a starter, but I had to stand on the sideline and watch. That's tough for anybody who has a com- petitive nature, who just wants to be out there and helping the team." But if not for that season of grooming, Reeder might not be the player he is now. He didn't see game action, but he closely studied the play of starting middle line- backer Mike Hull. Reeder roomed with the fifth-year senior during preseason camp, and they also stayed in the same hotel room on road trips. Although his patience was tested while sitting out the season, Reeder soaked in as much as he could from Hull, who is now on the Miami Dolphins' practice squad. "Rather than just focus on myself and what I had to do, I had a really good role model in front of me to watch," he said. "Even if it wasn't something that he was directly teaching me, just watching him in general – he taught me how to practice. He taught me how he conducted himself as a leader of the defense. He was a great captain. I roomed with him every away game and through camp, so it gave me an idea of how to prepare the night before games and what he did. Overall, having a guy like him who was a fifth-year senior ahead of me who I was able to watch all year was really beneficial to me in terms of my growth." ■

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