Oct. 29, 2003

By Mike Strauss, Athletic Media Relations

A 5-9, 175-pound athlete is not exactly the size of a player a coach would want playing cornerback at a Division I football school. Not when corners face the prospect of covering wide receivers who are 6-0 to 6-3 these days. Not when 300-pound linemen are leading sweeps in his direction. Yet Mark Estelle, all 5-9, 175 pounds (178 on a good day) is a guy the Utah State coaches do want in that position.

The senior cornerback has produced an outstanding career, covering bigger receivers and taking on bigger blockers despite his stature. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with heart and great athletic ability. Estelle runs a 4.39 40-yard dash, owns a 33.5" vertical leap and can bench press 375 pounds.

"He is the fastest Toyota in the demolition derby," said USU trainer Dale Mildenberger. "He is out there running into people. He just hasn't figured out that everybody else in the heat is in a Suburban."

Estelle has become a fixture in the Aggie secondary in his three years here, overcoming nagging injuries to become a player the coaches can count on each Saturday.

Estelle has suffered through a knee injury, torn tissue in his hand, back pain and other injuries, but has missed just two games in his three years in Logan. Last year Estelle was credited with 13 passes broken up, the most by an Aggie defender since 1994. Through seven games this year, Estelle has four PBUs to go along with two interceptions and 29 tackles.

"I have battled a lot of injuries on the field," he said. "I have been hurt a lot, but I still played. I am not a quitter. I want to give it my all on the field, healthy or not. I don't want to let my teammates down."

"He is playing great this year," said USU cornerback coach John Rushing. "He has taken a big step in leadership. He has made the secondary his home. He is making a lot of big plays for us and he would like to make more big plays for us. He is fighting through injuries off and on, but Mark is a more complete player than he has been in the past."

Rushing said he is not surprised by Estelle's solid play and noted that he has been impressed with his work ethic this season.

"His heart is a lot bigger than his body is," Rushing said of Estelle. "When the scouts come in and watch film, they are suprised to see a guy that small get in there and throw his body around and make tackles like he does. His footspeed is something he is blessed with. He has got some of the fastest feet I have ever seen when he is coming out of a break."

How does Estelle match up against the bigger players he faces each week?

"You have got to have heart and you have got to want it," Estelle said. "You can't let your size play a part in the game. Being this size, mostly everybody is bigger, so you know that going in."

Being isolated one on one, a cornerback is always facing challenges covering wide receivers, yet having to come up and make tackles on running plays. Estelle enjoys the challenges of his position.

"I love the game," he said. "I have been playing for so long. I like the competition and showing people what I have got. Bigger receivers come out thinking they have an advantage and thinking they are going to kill me out there. I like showing them what I have and that it is not going to happen over there on that island. It makes you a better man with the discipline, plus I want to get to the next level. I have been doing this so long, why not get paid for it?"

Estelle said he needs to be aggressive to overcome some of his physical limitations when covering wide receivers.

"You have to have good footwork and be real aggressive," he explained. "For a big wide receiver jumping up, you have to jump towards their back, strike them, give them a bump in the back and swipe at their hands and get that ball out of there."

Rushing says it is Estelle's abilities and determination that make him succesful on the field.

"His instincts are his biggest asset along with his heart," Rushing added. "When he is going against a guy that is a lot bigger than he is, he rises up to the challenge."

Another challenge Estelle is facing this year is stepping into a leadership role.

"I am trying to take a leadership role," he said. "Coach Rushing gave us a little poem called "The Man In The Glass" and it is about, Can you look at yourself in the mirror and say that you gave it your all to be the best? Are you letting yourself down? I only have five more guaranteed games. I don't want to end the season not giving it my best and then being done knowing that I didn't give it my all. I am just giving it my all so that I can know that I ended it on the best of my ability and if this doesn't go any further then I know that it wasn't because I didn't try."

His effort seems to be reflected in the younger members of the secondary as well. "The harder I work, it seems like the harder they work too," Estelle said.