CAREER NOTES & RECORDS
Career: Ranks No. 11 all-time at Penn State with 37 passes defended (30 PBU, 7 INT).
2019 • SENIOR SEASON
Awards: Named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media...Won the Lions Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award, along with Steven Gonzalez and Robert Windsor, for greatest career contribution to Penn State Football, at the team's awards banquet...Selected to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week first team following the Michigan game (10/19)...Named to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week first team after his performance against Buffalo (9/7).
Season: Made 13 starts...One of 11 players to have earned their degree entering the Cotton Bowl...Graduated with a degree in data sciences in December 2019.
Idaho (8/31): Made two solo stops...Picked off a pass in the third quarter and returned it 25 yards to setup a Penn State touchdown...Recorded his first full sack of his career in the first quarter...Tabbed as the Coaching Staff's Defensive Player of the Week. Buffalo (9/7): Picked off a pass in the third quarter and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown, his first career pick-six...Had Penn State's first pick-six since Amani Oruwariye vs. Kent State in 2016...Added four tackles, including two solo, and two pass breakups... Named the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Week. Pittsburgh (9/14): Recorded three tackles...Assisted on one tackle for loss. at Maryland (9/27): Assisted on one tackle...Selected the Coaching Staff's Special Teams Player of the Week. Purdue (10/5): Collected two tackles and two pass breakups. at Iowa (10/12): Posted seven tackles. Michigan (10/19): Recorded six tackles, including two solo...Had a solo tackle for loss...Broke up a pass. at Michigan State (10/26): Assisted on one tackle. at Minnesota (11/9): Secured one tackle. Indiana (11/16): Made three solo tackles...Recorded a pass breakup. at Ohio State (11/23): Notched four solo tackles...Added a pass breakup. vs. Memphis (12/28): Recorded three solo tackles...Added a pass breakup.
2018 • REDSHIRT JUNIOR SEASON
Awards: Earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten laurels from the league’s coaches and media...Was a nominee for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year.
Season: Made 11 starts...Finished second on the team with eight pass breakups...Was third on the team with two interceptions.
Appalachian State (9/1): Recorded one solo tackle and one QB hurry. at Illinois (9/21): Broke up a pass in the first quarter. Ohio State (9/29): Made three tackles...Broke up one pass. Michigan State (10/13): Collected four tackles...Broke up one pass. at Indiana (10/20): Registered a career-high eight tackles, making six solo stops. Iowa (10/27): Intercepted a pass in the second quarter, returning it a career-best 44 yards...Broke up three passes...Added one QB hurry. at Michigan (11/3): Broke up two passes. Wisconsin (11/10): Collected two solo tackles, including one for loss. at Rutgers (11/17): Made three stops...Intercepted a pass in the second quarter. Maryland (11/24): Had two solo tackles.
2017 • JUNIOR SEASON
Redshirt season due to injury...Named Academic All-Big Ten...Shared the 2018 Frank Patrick Memorial "Total Commitment" Award, given during spring practice to squad members who consistently follow through with their responsibilities in all facets of the football program and do so in exemplary manner, with Juwan Johnson.
2016 • SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the conference coaches and media panel...Named Campus Insiders Sophomore All-America honorable mention...Named to the Pro Football FocusBig Ten Team of the Week after his showing vs. Maryland (10/8)...Named to the Pro Football FocusNational Team of the Week following his performance at Purdue (10/29).
Season: Started all 14 games.
Rankings: Ranked No. 39 in the NCAA and No. 3 in the Big Ten in punt return average (7.5 ypr).
Kent State (9/3): Totaled four tackles...Combined with Antoine White for his first career sack, a takedown of Mylik Mitchell in the fourth quarter...Returned four punts for 22 yards...Posted a long return of 21 yards in the third quarter...Penn State’s seven sacks were the most since logging seven at Northwestern in 2011. at Pittsburgh (9/10): Registered five stops...Recovered his second career fumble in the fourth quarter, helping lead to a Tyler Davis field goal...Returned four punts for 61 yards...Broke a career-long 59 yard return in the first quarter, the longest punt return for the Nittany Lions since Derrick Williams’ 63-yard return for a TD at Wisconsin in 2008. Temple (9/17): Sealed the game with an interception of Phillip Walker, returning it 14 yards...Logged four tackles...Combined with Parker Cothren on a tackle for loss in the third quarter...Returned five punts for 32 yards, including a 29-yarder in the first quarter. at Michigan (9/24): Posted three tackles. Minnesota (10/1): Registered one tackle...Added one pass breakup...Returned two punts. Maryland (10/8): Recorded five tackles...Had two pass breakups...Logged one tackle for loss on a second quarter stop behind the line of scrimmage on a wide receiver screen in the second quarter...Part of a defense that allowed 11 first downs...Helped limit Maryland to 14 points – all in the first half – 170 rushing yards and 270 yards of total offense, after the Terps entered averaging 43.2 points, 300.0 rushing and 466.2 yards of total offense per game...Returned one punt for 8 yards. Ohio State (10/22): Made three stops...Added two pass breakups...Returned two punts...Helped the defense hold Ohio State scoreless in two quarters for the first time since Michigan State in 2015. at Purdue (10/29): Made one tackle...Had one pass breakup...Helped the defense hold Purdue to just 46 yards rushing, the second opponent held under 50 yards rushing in 2016...Was the coaching staff’s Defensive Player of the Week. Iowa (11/5): Made two solo tackles...Helped the defense hold Iowa to just 30 yards rushing, which was 137.9 yards below the Hawkeyes’ season average (167.9 ypg) entering the game...It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by Penn State since holding Massachusetts to 3 yards in 2014...It marked the first time Penn State held consecutive opponents to 46 yards rushing or fewer since 2007 (Notre Dame, zero yards; FIU, minus-3 yards)...It was the first time since Penn State joined the Big Ten that it held consecutive conference opponents to 50 yards or less of rushing. at Indiana (11/12): Made two tackles...Returned three punts for 32 yards...Had a long return of 19 yards in the first quarter. at Rutgers (11/19): Totaled three tackles...Made a career-high two solo tackles for loss – both coming in the third quarter...Helped hold Rutgers to just 87 yards of total offense, the fewest given up by Penn State in its Big Ten history and the fewest since 2006 vs. Temple (74)...The five first downs allowed are the fewest in B1G play in Penn State history and fewest since 2006 vs. Temple (2)...Aided the Nittany Lions in compiling nine tackles for loss, the eighth time in 2016 Penn State's defense recorded at least 9.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Michigan State (11/26): Had one tackle. vs. Wisconsin (12/3): Posted a tackle for loss in the first quarter...Returned one punt for 5 yards. vs. USC (1/2): Totaled one tackle...Added two pass breakups.
2015 • TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Named to ESPN.com’s Big Ten All-Freshman team...Earned Dean's List accolades in the 2015 fall semester.
Season: Appeared in 13 games with two starts...Started his first career game in the season opener at Temple...Was one of seven freshmen (3 redshirt, 4 true) to start...Was one of five true freshmen see action.
at Temple (9/5): Made a season-high five tackles, including a pair of solo stops. Buffalo (9/12): Recorded one tackle. Rutgers (9/19): Grabbed his first career interception in the third quarter, returning it 44 yards...Recorded his first fumble recovery in the fourth quarter and returned it 19 yards...Made two tackles...Part of a defense that held Rutgers to just three points, the fewest in a Big Ten opener since limiting Minnesota to three points in 1994...Helped limit Rutgers to 43 rushing yards, the fewest since giving up just 33 yards to Maryland in 2014...Was the coaching staff’s Defensive Player of the Week. San Diego State (9/26): Recorded two solo tackles...Had one pass breakup. Army (10/3): Was a part of a defensive that limited Army to one pass attempt, the fewest by a Penn State opponent since at least 1966, and one completion, the fewest since 1976 (Ohio State)...The one completion tied for the fewest by a team in FBS in 2015 (by Georgia Southern vs. Western Michigan & by Boston College vs. Syracuse)...The one pass attempt was the fewest by an FBS team in 2015...Helped hold Army to just 32 passing yards, the fewest against the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten era (since 1993). Indiana (10/10): Grabbed the second interception of his career in the fourth quarter...Recorded one tackle...Helped snap Indiana’s string of nine games in which the Hoosiers scored 20-plus points...Part of a defense that held Indiana to 234 yards of total offense, the fewest allowed by PSU since giving up 221 at Indiana in 2014...Led a secondary that limited the Hoosiers’ 155 passing yards, the fewest allowed by Penn State in a Big Ten game since allowing 68 to Indiana in 2014. at Ohio State (10/17): Made four tackles. vs. Maryland (10/24): Had three tackles...Forced his first career fumble to help the Nittany Lions force a season-high five turnovers. Illinois (10/31): Made two tackles. at Northwestern (11/7): Recorded one tackle. Michigan (11/21): Registered one tackle...Had one pass breakup. at Michigan State (11/28): Tied a season high with five tackles. vs. Georgia (1/2): Collected two tackles...Had two pass breakups.
HIGH SCHOOL
Helped lead St. Joseph’s Prep School to back-to-back PIAA Class AAAA Championships in 2013 and 2014, while playing both sides of the ball for head coach Gabe Infante...Honored as All-Catholic League MVP, first-team All-Catholic League on offense and defense, CBS Philly’s Player of the Year, Pennsylvania Football News Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state in 2014...Earned CBS Philly’s Player of the Year accolades as a junior...As a senior, had 699 receiving yards (19.4 ypc) and 12 touchdowns on offense and a pick-six on defense...Recorded 12 touchdowns and four interceptions as a junior in 2013...Rated a four-star prospect by all four major recruiting services – 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and Scout...Ranked among the top five prospects in the state by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals...Rated as the top cornerback in Pennsylvania by Scout as well as the 13th-best cornerback and 95th overall player nationally...Tabbed as the 16th-best corner by ESPN and Rivals.
PERSONAL
Full name is John Earl Reid...Son of John Reid and Lakita Purcell...Has three brothers, Aaron, Amari and Jaxson, and two sisters, Ariayana and Michaela...Majoring in data sciences...Born May 15, 1996 in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.