BLOOMINGTON – J-Shun Harris II knows what you were thinking when he raced into the end zone Saturday against Ball State for his third career punt return touchdown.

He knows you thought about his three anterior cruciate ligament tears. He knows — more than anyone would ever want to — the toll each injury took and the long road to recovery he endured each time. He knows, because at one point — if only for a moment — he’d also doubted his eventual return, while IU football coach Tom Allen and others were uncertain whether or not Harris would ever play again.

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But as he caught a Ball State punt at IU’s 14-yard line early in the second quarter, as he split two defenders and cut left with a burst of speed toward the Cardinals sideline, as a wall of blockers guided the 5-8, 172-pound bullet toward the end zone, all he could think was: Don’t trip.

“It feels awesome, but with all the work I’ve put in and having the support of my coaches, family, everyone, we’re not surprised,” said Harris, who helped IU defeat Ball State 38-10 to improve to 3-0. “Everyone can have the narrative of, ‘Three ACLs, why’s he still playing?’ But we don’t abide by anyone else’s limitations.”

Harris’ first and second ACL injuries came during the preseasons ahead of the 2015 and 2016 campaigns, respectively, and forced IU’s 2014 offensive newcomer of the year to miss two consecutive years. Back for the 2017 season, Harris returned punts for touchdowns in wins against Virginia and Georgia Southern and was on his way to being one of the nation’s top return men before the third tear during IU’s loss to Maryland in October.

At that point Allen and others assumed Harris’ career was over. But Harris couldn’t bring himself to hang up his cleats and move on. The connection he felt to the sport, to IU and his teammates, brought him too much joy.

“He’s just worked his tail off and he’s proved everybody wrong, you know,” Allen said. “He’s back to 100 percent, obviously, and making plays since the first game. He’s had two penalties that have brought back two big runs, too. So his average will be way, way better. He’s one of the best in the country at what he does, and he deserves everything that he gets.”

The homegrown talent out of Fishers wasn’t supposed to be back yet, either. Allen, coming into the summer, pegged IU’s Sept. 22 home game against Michigan State as Harris’ return to college football.

But a couple weeks ahead of the season opener against Florida International, Harris felt comfortable enough to take his knee brace off. It’s not that anything felt different physically once he made the decision, but mentally it helped him move forward.

“Once that went off it was like that confidence booster,” Harris said.

Now, three games into the 2018 season and three wins closer to a bowl game, Harris owns a reception for six yards and eight punt returns for 111 total yards — including that 86-yard touchdown that tied him for the school record for career punt-return scores with Tim Wilbur (1978-82).

“Forget what kind of football player he is, it’s what kind of person he is and how highly respected he is on this team,” said IU quarterback Peyton Ramsey. “After three ACLs to go out and do that? That’s incredible. He is still incredible. I don’t understand how he can still do the things that he does.”

It’s what’s enabled Harris’ IU career to be about what he’s accomplished on the field, not what he could have accomplished.

“Just couldn’t be happier for a finer young man,” Allen said. “Both as a player and as a person, he’s pretty special. Tremendous weapon for us.”

That is, Allen later joked, until teams stop kicking to him.

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Jordan Guskey on Twitter at @JordanGuskey or email him at jguskey@gannett.com.