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PHILADELPHIA — Nyeem Wartman-White tore off his gloves. After five minutes of lying on the trainer’s table, he didn’t like the news he was given.
It couldn’t have been more dire for Penn State’s middle linebacker. Nittany Lions coach James Franklin confirmed that Wartman-White will miss the entire 2015 season after suffering an apparent left knee injury during a second-quarter punt.
The Valley View grad had waited all summer to take on his new role in Penn State’s defense and play in front of friends and family in his hometown of Philadelphia. Now his season his over before it started.
“Thank you to everyone that sent prayers my way!” Wartman-White wrote on Twitter after the game. “I appreciate the support and love!”
Felled near the line of scrimmage, Wartman-White was in considerable pain before picking himself off the turf of Lincoln Financial Field his hometown stadium and limping to the sideline.
Wartman-White ultimately adjourned to the locker room before returning on crutches and a brace.
“I told him no matter what, I’ve got his back,” said friend and fellow District 2 alum Eugene Lewis. “I love him and I’m always going to be there if he needs anything. And he knows that.
“We’ve known each other since high school. From the same area. He knows that I’ve always got his back, no matter the circumstances.”
Added quarterback Christian Hackenberg, “He’s a fantastic player and an even better teammate.”
The Lions weren’t the same without him. He was replaced by junior Gary Wooten on the ensuing drive which saw Temple march 93 yards for a touchdown, the longest allowed by the Lions since Bob Shoop took over as defensive coordinator.
That was the first of 27 unanswered points by the Owls in a stunning Temple victory.
Making matters worse, starting strong-side linebacker Brandon Bell played hobbled for most of the game and he and Wooten eventually exited in the second half as well.
As a result, Penn State was forced to burn the redshirts of both of their true freshmen linebackers — Jake Cooper and Manny Bowen. Franklin said after the game that the injuries to Bell and Wooten were not serious.
For Wartman-White it was the second time he had a season cut short by an injury on special teams. He suffered a sprain in Week 2 against Virginia in 2012 on the opening kickoff and was held out the rest of the year in order to take a medical redshirt.
Franklin said he wouldn’t second-guess using a starter on special teams.
“I never understand that line of thinking,” Franklin said. “Everyone says offense, defense and special teams are all important. You want to play your best players. We want our starters to start on one special team (unit). Some start on two.
“Again, you play your best players in all three phases. That’s how we’re always going to approach it.”
Infirmary report
Aside from the mess at linebacker, the Lions were also missing sophomore starting corner Grant Haley.
A year ago as a true freshman, Haley had a day to remember as he came up with a second-half pick-six to put away Temple. On Saturday, it was time for another rookie to step up against the Owls.
With Haley in street clothes, true freshman John Reid’s first collegiate game came in a starting role. Reid split time with sophomore Christian Campbell.
“I didn’t hear his name come up much, so that’s a good sign,” Franklin said of Reid, adding that Haley was expected back next week against Buffalo.
Reid is no stranger to success in Philadelphia. Though he hails from across the river in South Jersey — Mount Laurel, to be exact — he played his high school ball in the city at St. Joseph’s Prep.
One of Pennsylvania’s highest-rated recruits in the 2015 signing class, Reid helped lead Prep to back-to-back PIAA Class 4A championships, though he missed a chunk of the playoffs last winter with an injury.
Tight end Adam Breneman, sidelined with an undisclosed injury, made the trip to Philadelphia. Senior linebacker Ben Kline, however, did not.
Kline has not played since midway through the 2013 season when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle early in a loss to Minnesota. He recovered from surgery that offseason only to injure his Achilles that summer, costing him the entire 2014 campaign.
When the Lions’ initial depth chart came out this week, Kline was not on it. The fifth-year senior does not appear to be 100 percent.
Freshman debuts
In all, five members of Penn State’s rookie class got on the field against the Owls — Reid, Cooper, Bowen, RB Saquon Barkley, and WR Brandon Polk.
Polk made an immediate impact as the speedster took a reverse on the Lions’ first offensive play for a 33-yard gain down the right sideline.
A total of 13 true freshmen made the trip, including G/C Ryan Bates, TE Nick Bowers, DE Ryan Buchholz, WR Irvin Charles, WR Juwan Johnson, DE Shareef Miller, S Ayron Monroe and QB Tommy Stevens.
