IU redshirt junior wide receiver Camion Patrick put the nation on notice last Saturday and showed fans what all the hype was about.
A player Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson described as the best player on the team following last season’s win over Purdue, Patrick leaped high into the air over his defender and came down with the football for a 40-yard touchdown catch in the Hoosiers’ 33-27 win over Rutgers on Nov. 5. The play gained national attention after getting nominated for the No. 1 play on Randy Moss’ “You Got Moss’d” segment on ESPN’s Monday Night Football pregame show.
Patrick said he received tons of text messages and FaceTime calls from family and friends, unaware of how much quickly the play blew up on social media. It was a rewarding moment which hasn't been easy to reach this season.
“It felt really good getting out there, getting more plays with my brothers,” Patrick said. “When I was out there, I just played every snap like how I felt I could play.”
The explosiveness displayed by Patrick last Saturday is nothing new. He arrived in Bloomington in 2015 from East Mississippi Community College, where he hauled in 42 passes for 631 yards and 12 touchdowns the previous season.
However, he arrived on campus academically ineligible, forcing him to sit out his first season as a Hoosier and delaying his chance to show his potential.
Then Patrick tore his ACL last spring, requiring him to miss all of spring ball after undergoing knee surgery needed to repair the injury. Still, he remained on schedule to make his limited debut against then-No. 17 Michigan State on Oct. 1.
Patrick has been gradually working his way back, getting limited reps on the perimeter at wide receiver in order to reduce the stress on his knee.
“It’s been going great, getting back into my groove,” Patrick said. “There’s always still stuff to work on, but I feel like I’m handling it very well, getting back in there.”
Wilson said next week marks seven months since the surgery, meaning Patrick is ahead of schedule in his recovery as a result. Wilson said the progress is faster than expected also because injured redshirt sophomore wide receiver J-Shun Harris needed 11 months to recover from his own ACL injury.
Plays like the one Wilson has seen on Saturday are what they’ve seen in practice, but IU’s head coach also said he’s seen inconsistency related to mood swings throughout Patrick’s recovery process. Specifically, Patrick being frustrated because he wants to play more but can’t because of the limitations placed on him in the rehabilitation process.
“Hopefully, making that play and the more he gets on the field will energize his mood as he's fighting through injury to be full speed,” Wilson said.
Patrick has also made a point to not look too far ahead in the recovery process.
“I mean, everybody gets frustrated, but I’ve got to get past it,” he said. “I am still ahead of schedule and still have a lot to work on, but I’ve got to go in with a clear head and not get so frustrated at myself.”
Indiana offensive coordinator Kevin Johns is hoping to see more of those plays in the future, but acknowledges there’s still progress health-wise Patrick needs to make.
Johns said Patrick likely won’t be back at full strength until next spring or fall, but has liked what he’s seen so far behind the scenes.
“I see it every day in practice,” Johns said. “He’s getting better, healthier, quick-twitch. He has the ability to make those plays.”
Patrick's clear-head mindset will be important Saturday against No. 12 Penn State, a team which has allowed just three passing plays of 40 or more yards all season. The Nittany Lions also boast the fourth-best pass defense in the Big Ten, which means opportunities will be limited.
However, IU redshirt senior wide receiver Ricky Jones said once Patrick gets going and more familiar with the playbook, he can be a big play wide receiver in the Big Ten.
“Camion can be like the LeBron James of this team,” Jones said. “He’s unreal. He has the athletic ability to be anything he wants. I’ve seen him play running back, wide receiver, everything.
“Once that happens, you’re going to see some big things out of Camion Patrick, I can tell you that right now.”
