LOGAN, Utah - When Kyler Fackrell arrived in Cache Valley, Utah State's football program had just wrapped up its second season under former head coach Gary Andersen.

The Aggies went 4-8 in 2010 under Andersen, but it was their 13th consecutive losing season. During those lean years, Utah State suffered through a stretch where it lost 16 in a row and won just twice in 29 games.

Times have certainly changed since then and blue-collar players like Fackrell are a big reason why. Since Fackrell's arrival on campus in 2011, the Aggies have compiled a 41-21 overall record, played in four consecutive bowl games and won three straight bowl games, both of which are school records.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound senior linebacker, who redshirted in 2011, is back on the field for the Aggies after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter of the 2014 opener at Tennessee.

"It's awesome being back," Fackrell said. "It still has taken me a little bit to really truly get back into it. It is different to play in real games, but it's been amazing to come out and play with these guys again. To be able to stand on the sideline, to try and contribute and win a game with my teammates is a lot of fun."

Through the first five games of his senior season, Fackrell ranks fourth on the team in tackles with 26, including 8.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, both of which lead the Aggies. He also has a team-best eight quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

With his 8.0 tackles for loss, Fackrell ranks first in the Mountain West and 17th in the nation. He is also second in the MW and tied for third nationally in fumbles recovered (0.40 pg), fourth in the MW and 66th nationally in sacks (0.60 pg), tied for sixth in the MW in fumbles forced (0.20 pg) and tied for 41st in the MW in tackles (5.2 pg).

"When you talk about Kyler, you talk about a guy that has tremendous talent," said former Utah State linebacker Zach Vigil, who is in his rookie season with the Miami Dolphins. "When we played Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl, their whole game plan was to stop Kyler. When you hear stuff like that, it shows you the kind of respect he demands when he's on the field."

And while Fackrell has helped turn the Aggies into a consistent winner, there is still something he would like to accomplish before leaving Logan. The Preseason Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year would love nothing more than to help Utah State capture a title.

"There is, just like there has been, a big sense of urgency for us to win and hopefully get that Mountain West Conference championship," Fackrell said.

Playing in his first game back since suffering the season-ending knee injury against Tennessee, it didn't appear as if Fackrell had missed any time at all. After all, the former three-sport star at Mesa (Ariz.) High School had five tackles, including a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss and a career-high-tying 2.0 sacks, in Utah State's 12-9 victory against Southern Utah on Sept. 3.

"He brings consistency to the table every day," Vigil said. "Kyler is a guy who is going to work hard for you, especially the last couple of years that I was there with him. It was unfortunate that he got hurt last year. He was set up to have a really good year."

Fackrell currently ranks tied for 10th all-time in school history with 125 interception return yards. Most of that came on a 99-yard pick-six, which ranks as the third-longest interception return in both school and MW history, against Hawai'i on Nov. 12, 2013.

For his career, Fackrell has recorded 187 tackles, including 25.0 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks, four interceptions, four pass breakups, four forced fumbles and two fumble recovering. He even spent some time at tight end during as a sophomore in 2013, catching a 4-yard touchdown pass against Weber State to become the first Aggie to score an offensive and defensive touchdown in the same season since 1964, when Earsell Mackbee had four receiving touchdowns and two pick-sixes.

"Kyler is an awesome teammate," Vigil said. "He's very even-keeled, he's one of the guys and he's a family man all in one. That's pretty rare if you've been around quite a few locker rooms. Kyler is a special individual, he has a big heart, he cares about his friends, and he cares about his family, his wife and his daughter. He's just an all-around really good guy at the core."

Fackrell is Utah State's best prospect for the 2016 NFL draft. Heading into the 2014 campaign, he had been tabbed by some analysts as an under-the-radar prospect to monitor. Numerous NFL scouts dotted Utah State's sidelines during fall camp to watch Fackrell, who is an extremely fast, athletic and long-levered linebacker that can play both the pass and the run.

Fackrell would love nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of Aggie greats like Vigil and Bobby Wagner (Seattle Seahawks), and make an NFL roster.

"We're all super proud of the Aggies that have made it like Bobby and Zach," Fackrell said. "It's a good thing. The more guys we can get in the league from Utah State, the better for us."

But Fackrell isn't just a standout linebacker for the Aggies. He's also a student, husband and father. He and his wife, Elizabeth (Luke), will celebrate their two-year wedding anniversary in October. The couple has one child, a daughter named Delaney, who was born on Jan. 11, 2015.

Being a husband and father is something Fackrell cherishes every single day.

"Delaney changed my perspective and my wife did, too, when we got married," Fackrell said. "Before that, football was really the only thing that I thought about and worried about. Having a family does kind of change your perspective. Football doesn't necessarily take a back seat because it's still a huge part of my life, and my family's life. We have to work around the football schedule for the majority of the year, but my wife does a great job and she's a blessing."

And when you ask his wife, the feeling is definitely mutual.

"If there's anything that I would love people to know about Kyler, it's that he is the most amazing husband and father," Elizabeth said. "He knows how to make someone feel 100 percent special. He always makes time for me. Even with his crazy, busy schedule with fall camp and football, his first question to me is always, `How was your day?' He wants to know about things that are going on in my life. It would seem to me that someone in his position, that would be completely irrelevant, but he is pretty adamant about making sure I'm feeling good. And when I am feeling upset, he definitely takes time to take care of me."

Delaney is definitely a daddy's girl.

"Kyler is not a proud person," Elizabeth said. "I don't think there's any secret about that, but if there is one thing that he is when it comes to his daughter, it's proud. He calls her his gorgeous girl every time he sees her."

The son of Darrell and Lori Fackrell is a self-proclaimed nerd and enjoys playing both video and computer games. In fact, he won the most recent FIFA tournament against his fellow teammates. Fackrell also likes Titanfall on the Xbox and StarCraft II on the computer.

"Kyler takes Delaney with him to Nick Vigil's house to play FIFA," Elizabeth was quick to point out. "He loves to have her around no matter where he is and he's proud to be a dad."

Having not been highly recruited out of Mesa HS, Fackrell is grateful for the opportunity Utah State's football program gave him. He hopes Aggie fans feel the same way toward him and what he's helped this team accomplish.

"I want the fans to remember me as a hard-working guy, somebody who was willing to sacrifice whatever I needed to for the team and help change the program around and get to where we are," said Fackrell, who is majoring in business administration and is on track to graduate in December.