One of the most critical players in Iowa State’s huge win over Iowa on Saturday was nowhere to be found in Iowa City.

In fact, he was about two hours away, lying in a hospital bed in Ames.

This man was Marc Cortez, a redshirt junior offensive lineman who went down with a career-ending knee injury in last Saturday’s game.

Cortez may have been far from the field on Saturday, but he was never far from the hearts of his teammates.

“Marc Cortez is a great guy. I wish he could be here right now, but we all dedicated this win to him,” said junior linebacker Dave Brcka.

Every Cyclone coach and player praised the character and work ethic of Cortez, who started five games in his career as a Cyclone.

“We came out and played our hearts out for that kid. You can’t draw up a better picture of a person than Marc Cortez,” said senior quarterback Todd Bandhauer.

After Cortez learned that he would be gone for the season, the players and coaches went to see him in the hospital. What followed was an emotional scene.

“We were in the room about thirty seconds and he started crying and we started crying, and it’s not because he’s in pain or because he’s had four or five operations, but because he couldn’t be with us today,” said coach Dan McCarney.

After that inspiring scene, Cortez decided to put down on paper what he struggled to say.

“He sent us a letter telling us to thank God for all our gifts and wishing that he could be there with us today, and I really think it pumped us up,” said Brcka.

“We’re all dedicating this to ‘Tez.’ It just breaks my heart for that to happen to somebody who has been through so much. He wanted this more than anyone, and we dedicated it to him,” said senior lineman Charlie Bogwill.

Cortez has had a career ravaged by injury. The 21 year old from Tinley Park, Illinois arrived on the Iowa State campus in 1995 eager to contribute to the club.

He was coming off a senior year for Andrews High School in Tinley Park in which he was named All-State, and he had high expectations for his career as a Cyclone.

What followed was a career he couldn’t have imagined in his worst nightmares.

He sat out the 1995 season as a redshirt, and while sitting out, he injured his knee.

The following season he was held out of action as he was recovering from the knee injury.

Then last year he finally seemed ready to take his spot on the Cyclone line week-in and week-out.

He fought back to earn the starting center’s role, but again went down with various injuries and ended up starting only 4 games.

He sat out spring practice this year, still recovering from the injury of the 1997 campaign. However, he made such a strong showing in the spring game that he was the team’s starting right guard in this season’s opening game.

Then came the injury that would finally spell the end of the young man’s football career.

Before Saturday’s resurrection, the TCU game looked to be the beginning of the end for another year of Cyclone football.

For Marc Cortez, it was the end of his season and his career.

He went down with an injury that every football player dreads: a torn patella tendon. Marc Cortez knew that he had played his last down as a Cyclone.

It is true that Cortez will never again line up and protect Todd Bandhauer or open up holes for Darren Davis, but every time the Cyclones go to battle this year, Marc Cortez will be in their hearts and minds.

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Josh Flickinger is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Rockford, Ill.