On Aug. 24, 2002 defensive lineman Nick Leaders played in his first game as a Cyclone. Sadly, the ISU football team lost a heartbreaker against Florida State.

Forty-two games have been played since, and he hasn’t missed a single one.

“I think a lot of [staying healthy] is luck,” Leaders said. “The bumps and bruises don’t bother you – they’re part of the game.”

Leaders, a senior from Omaha, Neb., has accumulated 245 tackles and four blocked kicks in those 42 games.

The durability Leaders demonstrates has raised some eyebrows on the team, from both coaches and players.

“In that position, where there’s more contact, more cuts, more doubles, more combos and more guys hitting you from all directions, at a position that’s really hard to stay durable and stay healthy, here he is,” said coach Dan McCarney. “There’s only three players in the country who have had more consecutive starts – that’s amazing.”

Teammate DeAndre Jackson is inspired by Leaders’ performance not only in games, but throughout practice.

“I look up to him,” said Jackson, a cornerback. “I see those guys running the trenches, just going hard every play, and he’s got so many nicks and bruises it probably doesn’t even faze him. I get one little bump and I have to suck it up because I look at him and those guys in the trenches.”

Strong safety Nik Moser added a little humor to Leaders’ arrival at Iowa State: “As a freshman, no one really knew a whole lot about him. He came in here, and it was like, ‘No way this guy can play,'” Moser joked. “Look at him – he doesn’t look like he could go out there and play every day like he does, but what he has done in the past four years is unreal.”

Leaders, who said he has never missed a single game during his football career said it doesn’t just take a little luck to stay healthy, but a drive to be on the field at all times, as well.

“I go out there, some days you feel a little worse than other days, but you just go out there and work through it,” he said. “As long as you’re on the field, you’re going to get better.”

The way Leaders protects himself on the field also plays a factor.

“He stays on his feet; he’s rarely on the ground.” McCarney said. “He does a good job of protecting his legs and his feet, which means you keep your feet alive and you have a chance to go on and make some plays.”

Name the team activity, and there he is, working with the rest of the Cyclones.

“He hasn’t missed practice either, knock on wood,” McCarney said. “He hasn’t missed practice, he hasn’t missed weights, he hasn’t missed running, he doesn’t miss games. You talk about an unsung hero in this program – in his career, he’s amazing.”

That dedication is what helped Leaders become a defensive captain this season. In his tenure at Iowa State, he said there have been some close calls, but never anything that would make him think of missing a game.

“Sometimes your cleat gets caught, and just somehow releases right before you fall to the ground,” Leaders said. “I guess I’ve just been fortunate, and hopefully I can keep the streak alive.”

His dedication through four years at Iowa State has not only brought respect to himself, but to the entire line. As a familiar name week after week, he has recognition to positions that are usually overlooked.

“Looking at him, Brent Curvey and all those guys in the trenches, that really motivates me,” Jackson said. “Any time I get nicked up, I have to tell myself, ‘I have to keep going. These guys are doing it every day.'”