During a game in which two teams played on national television with NCAA tournament bids on the line, the loudest ovation of the night came at halftime.

Former Penn State football player Adam Taliaferro returned to campus Saturday evening for the first time since September. Taliaferro attended the Penn State-Michigan State men's basketball game and, looking down from his box seat, gave the sellout crowd a wave. He was rewarded with a standing ovation that lasted several minutes.

Taliaferro is continuing to make impressive progress after suffering a severe spinal injury during an Oct. 23 game at Ohio State. He spoke to the media at a pregame press conference about his rehabilitation and his plans for the future.

"I've only been gone for five months, but it feels like it's been five years," Taliaferro said.

Taliaferro has spent the past two months at his home in Vorhees, N.J., where he makes a small commute to Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia each day for therapy. The 19-year-old Taliaferro was released from Magee on Jan. 5.

In addition to taking in the Nittany Lions' loss to the No. 5 Spartans, Taliaferro also used his weekend visit to spend time with his former teammates.

"I got to go out with the guys last night," he said. "It kind of feels like old times, and that was a great feeling. That's basically the only thing I really wanted to do this weekend — just get back with the team."

Taliaferro originally lost the use of his hands, fingers, legs, feet and toes as a result of the injury; but over the past few months he has made remarkable progress. Other than what he described as some tightness in his right hand, Taliaferro has regained the use of his extremities, and is now able to walk without the use of a cane.

"The walking's going pretty good," he said. "I was standing up all last night with the guys. When I go to the games I can walk around the whole stadium. There's really no limp."

Fans at The Bryce Jordan Center wore stickers adorned with Taliaferro's jersey number, 43, and waved signs that read, "We Believe." Taliaferro said that the continued support has been tremendous.

The Adam Taliaferro Fund, established by the university to help Taliaferro and his family with the cost of medical bills, has raised over $210,000 thus far. But more important, said Taliaferro, has been the moral support he has received, especially from his teammates.

"They've been great, from the point I got injured until now," he said. "They've called me, sent cards, made videos . . . I couldn't ask for anything more."

Taliaferro said even from the time of the injury, walking again was always in the back of his mind.

"I knew it was bad, but I knew the chances of walking were always, always there," he said. "I always thought I was going to walk again."

Taliaferro's father, Andre, said the Taliaferro family always shared Adam's belief that he would walk again, and they have put the injury into perspective.

"Football was going to end for him at some point in time," Andre said. "Ninety percent of the players at some point have to give up the game not on their own accord."

As far as he has come, Taliaferro wants to go further. He will return to Penn State full time this May, when he will ease back into school by taking one summer class.

"He's still going to get a Penn State education, which means a lot," Andre said.

Taliaferro said he plans on continuing his physical therapy while at school, moving his five-day per week routine to the university's facilities. He also plans to implement weight training and aquatic therapy into his current rehab.

His next goal is to walk out onto the field at Beaver Stadium when the Lions open the season this fall against Miami.

"I don't know what feelings I'm going to have on that day," Taliaferro said. "I wish I could be out there suiting up, but I'm definitely looking forward to it."