Remember him? Penn State's 2018 success starts with forgotten John Reid

It was easy to forget about John Reid.

Easy to miss him when he was there all of the time.

Of course you missed him last fall. During games he looked like another undersized guy on a crowded Penn State sideline motioning to players, offering words of confidence and criticism.

But it turns out Reid is nearly as good off the field as on it. He's football smart instinctually at cornerback and a standout in the classroom. He reportedly built his own computer in high school. He spent his summer working for Intel's data center engineering group in Oregon.

He also may be the most valuable defensive player on the team. And the most natural future coach.

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That's why Penn State took him to every road game last year — using up a precious travel roster spot — even though he couldn't play. 

Coach John Reid?

He smiled when asked about that before the Fiesta Bowl victory over Washington. For now, he's concentrating on returning for his junior season after tearing up knee ligaments last spring.

"Coaching's not easy. You got to recruit in college, recruiting's pretty hard," said the no-nonsense Reid, who starred at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia. "My recruitment was football. My recruitment wasn't big meals and official visits. Mine was, 'What's in the (game) film? What (defense) do you all run? What can my role be? 

"I knew what type of player I was coming in, so I didn't really need people to boast me up. I knew what I could do."

Reid should be the biggest boost to a 2018 defense that must replace its starting defensive tackles, cornerbacks, safeties and its top linebacker.

His preparation has been about more than getting stronger and faster. Even before the injury he owned the team's fastest pro agility time and was the strongest cornerback in the power clean, squat and bench press.

Rather, this goes back to being a player-coach. Even Reid, who studies as much game film as anyone, learned a new aspect of his sport that he claims will make him better.

"When you're helping other people out you're also helping yourself out. You're getting a different perspective when you explain things, you understand it better. It's like being in school. To understand something you should really be able to help someone out with it."

Certainly, Penn State needed to groom its future leader as well as possible. While the Lions continue to stack talent at cornerback, they will be relatively young and thin at safety. 

Reid's leadership and teaching skills will go along way with helping both defensive back positions.

He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention pick as a sophomore, one of the best young cornerbacks in the nation.

Now, his connection and tutoring of potential stars like Lamont Wade and Tariq Castro-Fields is nearly as important. Both true freshman saw increased playing time throughout last season.

"I feel like they have a lot they haven't shown yet," Reid said. "The game is slowing down for them more and more. I think that's the biggest thing.

"And they came in really confident. Sometimes when guys come in really confident as freshmen they may not always want to listen because they're so used to certain things they want to do."

That certainly sounds like the making of a coach.

One who's only halfway through his playing career at Penn State.

A critical factor to whether this team can reload quickly enough after back-to-back 11-win seasons. Fortunately, a presence growing beyond anything you can see on the field.