Watching Rutgers Football’s Scarlet-White spring game this past Saturday, yes a few players stood out stats wise, but the biggest winner was Reggie Sutton.
Sutton, a rising sixth-year senior offensive lineman, saw action for the White team. It was his first “game” since injuring his knee all over in practice prior to the game against Michigan in 2021. Rutgers 3-0 at the time and Sutton was the Scarlet Knights’ top lineman.
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Sutton battled and battled to just make it back to the field. The 6-foot-4, 295-pounder from Baltimore, Md. said there were a lot of low points over the last year and a half. He went through grueling 12-hour rehab days where he was in pain and knew he would go through pain before arriving.
“Being carted off and going to hospital. I’ll save the nasty details. I’m 23 now. I was 21 then and scared. I’m so glad my girlfriend was there with him,” Sutton said. “If not for her, I would have been scared out of my mind being at the hospital and them working with me and not knowing what’s happening. The staff called my family and they drove up right away. Some teammates came to the hospital.
“There were everyday battles with rehab. I was doing 12-hour rehab days for basically four months. It was a lot of low points. I was yelling and screaming because they had to bend the knee and get some motion. Guys are wincing in pain with me. There was a mental hurdle of coming in and knowing I was going to be in pain. I pushed through it. The support system here and at home were key to going into that.”
Years ago, Ryan Neil played for Rutgers in the early 2000s. He also suffered a gruesome knee injury in 2002 like Sutton. Neil missed a ton of time before becoming an All-Big East selection in 2004 and 2005 on his way to an NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Rams, and San Diego Chargers for five years. In his first game back for Rutgers, he intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown to guide Rutgers past Michigan State.
He epitomized the “chop”, and now Sutton is doing the same. The two got a chance to talk.
“I wasn’t the only person who had that same injury,” Sutton said. “Talking to him gave me a lot of perspective. You can’t anticipate everything with this type of injury, but he gave me a rundown on what it was like for him. Thinking back on it now, it was similar with the timeline. I’m encouraged. I’m glad I got the opportunity to reach out to someone who’s been through something like this. I gained an outline and a perspective.”
There were times that Sutton thought he’d never make it back. He’s not fully healthy, but he played about 20 snaps or so in the spring. Everything checked out.
“I kept everything with an open mind. That was the best thing I did. Whatever it is, I’ll let it be. I laid the cards out on the table. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but if I got the chance to suit up with my guys again, I’d jump at that opportunity,” Sutton said. “I wasn’t happy with how I played because I have high standards for myself, but I’m happy that I was out there after so long.
“I got bull rushed a couple times. I had some run blocks. Still working through it. I have to get used to it and I can’t be nervous. It was a good experience to be able to handle it and not take myself out. Positive steps forward.”
Sutton got his feet wet in 2018 as a freshman as a blocking tight end. In 2019, he played in six games along the offensive line. He then started all nine games in 2020 and was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection by the coaches, and continued to start the first three contests of 2021 before getting hurt. He did not play last season.
Rutgers could use all the help it could get on the offensive line, and Sutton could be a big help whether that is at guard or tackle.
"I can't tell you how optimistic I am. Because it really is how he responds each and every time. I think he played like 20 plays today. And I tell you, there's a lot of people that said that could never happen. It reminds me Ryan Neil, the horrific injury he had in the 2002 Miami game. And Ryan had a similar recovery. It was about 18 months before you can even start doing things. Now, Ryan, you couldn't write a better script; two-time All-Big East player after the injury. Boy, I'd love to see Reggie be able to do that. But just for his own psyche, the ability to work as hard as he did, and then actually get to go out and play in a game. Albeit a spring game, but he played in a game today. And that, to me, is really cool.
“He's worked hard, and I'm telling you guys, the amount of sacrifice he's made to get back to playing is off the charts, especially in the first year. So my goodness, that guy, just wouldn't relinquish his dream of playing. So I sure hope so. And as a team, it really would help us. As I've said before, when he went down, he was our best lineman, a legitimate Big Ten guard. So if he gets back to close to the way he was, that's going to help our team. But right now, I'm just happy for him."
Asked whether he believes he can get back to being the player he was a couple years back, Sutton wasn’t sure.
“That’s a good question. I don’t know. Just taking it day by day,” he said. “I have to get stronger and get better in every aspect. I’m not a finished product. Hopefully I’m back out there and I’ll keep working. I want to climb higher. Coach Schiano asked the trainers if I could come back even stronger from this injury and they said yes. That gave me confidence.”
At halftime of the spring game, Sutton was given the Frank R. Burns Award which is awarded to the player who demonstrates extraordinary mental and physical toughness during the spring.
That sounds a lot like Sutton, who is also a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
“They were excited,” Sutton said of his teammates seeing get the award and being able to play. “I’m not one for praise, and I got that award, and I was awkward about it. They were excited for me. They saw the way I worked. I love those guys. They make my journey and fight even easier.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisNalwasky.
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