Reggie Sutton breaks down his journey back from injury to starter
In what is possibly shaping up to be a dream season for Rutgers Football, it is hard to find a better story than that of Reggie Sutton. Suffering a brutal knee injury in 2021, Sutton got his first taste of game action in 738 days when the Scarlet Knights’ thrashed Wagner 52-3 and earned the starting nod in this past Saturday’s 27-24 win over Michigan State.
“I haven’t done that since we faced Delaware in 2021 so it was a lot of fun,” Sutton said. “A lot of nerves went into that but everybody just kept encouraging me.”
Sutton described what went into the journey back onto the football field and how the path was not always linear.
“I started off in a wheelchair for a couple of months, then it was about 12-hour days for rehab, and then I would do more rehab at home,” he said. “So that was the process for about 3-4 months, and then I was able to start walking around and moving a little bit more. There were a lot of ups and downs in that process.”
Before the injury, Sutton established himself as a stalwart offensive lineman for the Scarlet Knights and had a quality 2020 season where he started all nine games and was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention in the coaches’ vote. The Baltimore native also earned the Frank R. Burns Award this past offseason due to his “extraordinary mental and physical toughness during spring practice.”
Despite being limited early on, Sutton knew what his mission entailed and how getting back to the gridiron was going to take a lot of hard work, dedication, and preparation.
“I was just always being prepared for the opportunity,” he explained. “Just stacking good days and helping the team wherever I could. I’m glad people can resonate with my story and cheer me on. I am here to contribute to the team in a meaningful way.”
The Scarlet Knights were able to pull off one of their more thrilling victories in quite some time when they rallied from 18 points down in the fourth quarter to upend Michigan State 27-24. As much as being named a starter meant to the 6-foot-4, 295-pounder, getting the win and having it come in such a dramatic fashion was just icing on the cake for a trail that was not always sweet.
“That’s what you play football for,” he said. “Not everything’s going to go your way, a lot of adversity’s going to hit, but we stuck together and chopped and I’m glad we got it today.”
Sutton also explained what went into the comeback and credited the special teams for getting it started with a fumble recovery in the endzone.
“We knew there wasn’t an 18-point play out there so we just had to take it one play at a time,” he said. “When the special teams scored that touchdown it was electric out there. I think they set the tone and then everybody else followed.”
In addition, Sutton described the difference between preparing to take the field and actually being in the heat of battle.
“I think there’s no substitute for game reps,” he continued. “Practice reps are great because you get different looks and things like that, but in the heat of the moment you fall back to the level of your training. It was great to get those practice reps but in the game, it is intense out there.”
Sutton also gave credit to the scarlet faithful who stuck it out through the wet and dreary conditions to see their team pull out a Homecoming win to remember.
“Shout out to the fans,” he said. “I looked up at one point and saw they were in the concourse because it was cold and raining, but they brought the energy and that’s what Homecoming is about.”
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