United by spinal cord injuries, Taliaferro and LeGrand back for Penn State-Rutgers

Eric LeGrand, right, alumni of Rutgers University and Adam Taliaferro, center, alumni of Penn State University, college football players who suffered serious spinal cord injuries on the field, react as child life specialist Tara Mohamed shows her Penn State shirt while visiting children at PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014, in New Brunswick, N.J. LeGrand and Taliaferro will be the honorary captains when Rutgers and Penn State meet Saturday at High Point Solutions Stadium in the Big Ten Conference opener. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (The Associated Press)

Eric LeGrand, left, alumni of Rutgers University and Adam Taliaferro, center, alumni of Penn State University, college football players who suffered serious spinal cord injuries on the field, talk with Jonathan Ulassin, 19, while visiting children at PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014, in New Brunswick, N.J. LeGrand and Taliaferro will be the honorary captains when Rutgers and Penn State meet Saturday at High Point Solutions Stadium in the Big Ten Conference opener. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (The Associated Press)

When the football schedule came out for Rutgers' inaugural Big Ten Conference season, Eric LeGrand and Adam Taliaferro came up with something special for the Penn State game.

Linked forever by spinal cord injuries, LeGrand and Taliaferro decided to make a game one with a cause instead of simply being a rivalry contest between the neighboring New Jersey and Pennsylvania schools.

LeGrand and Taliaferro will be back at High Point Solutions Stadium on Saturday when Penn State (2-0) plays Rutgers (2-0) in the kickoff to the Big Ten season. Taliaferro will serve as the Nittany Lions' honorary captain, while LeGrand will serve for the Scarlet Knights.

Wednesday was another special day for LeGrand and Taliaferro. They sat and talked with children battling life-changing illnesses and injuries.