EVANSTON-Keith Watkins II had a case of déjà vu on Wednesday. And it wasn’t the good kind.

Northwestern’s veteran cornerback was at Hucheson Field, going through drills with his teammates for the third day of the Wildcats’ fall camp. It was one year ago, on the third day of practice, on the very same field, where Watkins tore his ACL, ending his 2016 season before it even started.

The coincidence wasn’t lost on the fourth-year Wildcat.

“It was actually stuck in the back of my head: this is the exact field that I got hurt on, on the third day,” he said after the nearly three-hour practice.

But this year, Watkins made it through the third practice unscathed. He didn’t participate fully in Wednesday’s workout as a precaution, but he is 100-percent healthy and ready for contact.

Watkins hasn’t played in a game for Northwestern since the 2016 Outback Bowl, but he’ll be the starting cornerback opposite Montre Hartage for the opener on Sept. 2. What he hopes to bring to Northwestern’s defensive backfield this year can be summarized in one word: “Swag.”

If you’ve seen Watkins play, you know exactly what he means. He is a physical, fearless corner who likes to make plays and then celebrate them.

“Swag is you get a big hit, you celebrate with your team, that aura you have on the field that people just know who you are,” said Watkins, who made 41 tackles for the 2015 Wildcat squad that finished 10-3. “That’s just how I’ve always been.

“I feel like I can bring that to the team, that aggressiveness at corner. We had great corners, but me being as aggressive as I am, coming down and making a tackle on the edge, setting the edge and then just being physical.”

Pat Fitzgerald used a different word to describe Watkins’ play. “Big-time,” the head coach called it.

Watkins is a loud player, as loud as the tattoos that cover his arms and much of his torso. Unfortunately for him, the ACL tear made for a very quiet redshirt junior season on the sideline.

Watkins’ injury was one of those quirky, non-contact types that make coaches and fans shake their heads. He leaped up to deflect a pass on the sideline and felt something funny in his knee when he landed. It wasn’t exactly pain, and it didn’t feel wobbly, so he continued to practice. The injury happened during session 9, halfway through an 18-session practice, and he finished the day.

He told the training staff what happened after practice and they ordered an MRI and told him that it was probably nothing. He woke up the next morning, however, with a knee swollen so badly “I couldn’t see my kneecap.” That’s when he knew something was wrong.

Later that day, after getting the MRI results, the doctor told Watkins those three letters that all football players dread: A-C-L. He had surgery at the end of the month and had to watch his teammates play without him all year.

“It was tough, it was real tough,” said Watkins of the experience.

Watkins was cleared for contact in the spring and participated in the last two weeks of spring football, wearing a red jersey. He said he was hesitant at first – “I’m not going to lie” – but that his football instincts took over shortly thereafter.

He then worked on rehabbing all summer. “I picked up some weight, got stronger, got my leg stronger,” he said.

Watkins, who hails from Ohio power Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller, didn’t participate in scrimmaging at the end of practice on Wednesday, riding a stationary bike instead. He said that it was merely a precaution.

“Right now, we’re just making sure everything’s cool,” he said. “It was bothering me just a little bit, so we just backed off today’s practice. But I’m full-go whenever I want. I want to be ready first day of season.”

Watkins isn’t taking any chances on meeting that goal, either, tackling the training room as hard as he does a wide receiver in the flat.

“I’m in the training room all day, whenever they open up,” he said. “Every day they’re there, I’m there. I want to make it through the whole season to have a great year.”

And maybe two. Watkins could petition the NCAA for a sixth-year of eligibility after this one. He says that he is currently considering that option.

But first things first. Watkins can’t wait to run onto Ryan Field to take on Nevada in the opener. By then it will have been 20 months and one day since he donned a Wildcat uniform in a game. He says he’s mentally and physically ready to play again.

“My mindset is perfectly fine,” he said. “I’ll just go out there and play.”