At Friday's Lift for Life, Penn State cornerback Justin King signed footballs for young Nittany Lion fans, watched as his teammates battled through exhausting events and appeared ready to move on from controversy.
An April 1 altercation in a Meridian II apartment and the subsequent fallout had, for a short time, left King's status in jeopardy.
In one of his first public appearances since being exonerated of felony charges in May, King spoke to the media and offered some insight into his life over the past four months.
"It was a bittersweet feeling," King said. "I was happy, I was out of Dodge."
Even though he has been cleared of all charges, it still pains King to see his teammates dealing with summer session expulsions and impending trials.
"At the same time, good friends of mine are still in it," he said. "I just got to stay positive and pray for them and hope for the best."
One of the good friends he referred to is safety Anthony Scirrotto, who is set to stand trial in early August for his alleged involvement in the incident. He has been temporarily expelled for Penn State's second summer session, but will be allowed back on campus when preseason camp starts on Aug. 6.
Last year Scirrotto starred in the secondary with King, nabbing a Big Ten leading six interceptions. If he is forced to miss any amount of time this season, King believes it would be tough to replace him.
"It would be a devastating loss," he said. "As good as Scirrotto did last year, I still don't think people give him the credit that he deserves. Scirrotto is the real deal."
King was less candid when it came to discussing how the team has adjusted since the altercation.
"Yeah, we learned our lesson," he said. "We're all already a close-knit group, but that is all I can say about that."
The team's camaraderie may be tested this fall when the team will be required to clean Beaver Stadium after home games as apart of Joe Paterno's decision to discipline the entire team for the action's of a few individuals.
King was clearly not thrilled at the thought of waking up early Sunday to clean after a tough game the day before. Yet, with a smile, he said that he couldn't challenge any of Paterno's decisions.
"I'm not preparing for it. When it happens it happens. I'm not even thinking about it, that will make me upset," he said. "When Sunday morning comes around and I get up, then I'll feel whatever I'm going to feel."
King did not participate in the Lift for Life, an event to raise money and awareness for kidney cancer. He was forced out of the competition because of a prior commitment that later fell through and allowed him to attend but not compete.
While he did not participate in the event, King's summer workouts have left him feeling better than ever.
"This is the most healthiest I've been since I've been in college, the best shape," he said.
A healthy King feels like he is more than ready for the start of the season -- just what opposing offenses did not want to hear.
"I'm happy conditioning is almost over, but I'm going into camp, and that's when it gets real," he said with a grin.
"This [Lift for Life] is kid play compared to that. This is just getting us ready for that. I'm excited because camp goes fast and before you know it we got our first game."
