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PROVO - Quarterback John Beck is the second-most prolific passer in school history, and Curtis Brown soon will become BYU's all-time leading rusher.
Jake Kuresa has started on the offensive line for four years and linebacker Cameron Jensen has been called one of the best leaders to ever put on a Cougar jersey. Tight end Jonny Harline is a likely NFL draft pick.
Naturally, when asked to pick the one of the 25 seniors who will play in his final home game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday who best represents BYU football, coach Bronco Mendenhall chose Nathan Meikle.
Nathan Meikle?
"Nate epitomizes
everything I would like this program to represent," Mendenhall said. "A great person, a hard worker, an exceptional student and someone who is fully committed to this team."
Not bad for a former walk-on who is the shortest (5-foot-9) player on the team and a guy who was nearly cut when he entered BYU after a standout career at Ephraim's Snow College.
Thing is, Mendenhall isn't alone in his assessment of Meikle, recently named an Academic All-American.
"He could be the poster child for BYU football," said Beck. "Nate will say it himself: He's not the fastest guy on the team. He's not the strongest guy on the team. But if you need someone to make a play, Nate is one of the first guys that you go to."
Last week against Wyoming, for instance.
Meikle took the opening kickoff 84 yards to the Wyoming 2 (replays showed he actually scored), and BYU found the end zone two plays later to break the upset-minded Cowboys' spirit.
"What might be atypical elsewhere is very typical here and is exactly what we are look for at BYU," Mendenhall said. "Nate barely made the walk-on cut and he was not in shape. But his competitive spirit took over and gave him a chance. He was a scout-team player for a full year. Next thing you know, he's starting. It's a great story of perseverance."
Now if he could only score a touchdown - or get married. Meikle is one of the few seniors on the team who's not married - along with Jensen, his roommate - and also hasn't reached the end zone in his two-year career, despite several close calls.
"People love to bring those things up," he said.
Meikle has 15 catches for 193 yards this season, after setting a school record for receptions in a bowl game (12) last year against Cal in the Las Vegas Bowl.
If the Cougars get a comfortable lead Saturday against the Lobos, look for Beck and the coaching staff to do all they can to get Meikle a TD.
"He deserves it," Jensen said.
But that doesn't mean the linebacker is going to give his buddy an inch in their "friendly" competitions that reach beyond the football field. Members of the team's leadership council "draft" other players, then compete in events such as water polo, track, dodgeball and weightlifting in the offseason.
"It kills Nate that my team beat his team in Super Games," Jensen said.
After Saturday's game, all 25 seniors will receive a blanket and be presented to the crowd, win or lose.
Beck's younger brother, walk-on receiver Andrew Beck, is nicknamed "Rudy" by his teammates, but that title could also be given to Meikle, who says he began watching BYU football games in his hometown of Idaho Falls, Idaho, when he was 8 or 9 years old and dreamed of playing in Provo almost his entire life.
"Now I am going to be a BYU junkie for the rest of my life," he said. "For an LDS kid like me, it is the premier place to play."
But while BYU's other seniors such as Beck, Brown, Harline, Jensen and Kuresa will likely get their shots at professional football next year, Saturday's game, next week's game at Utah and the bowl game will probably be Meikle's farewell to the sport.
Or will they?
"Anybody's flag football team or pickup team or Turkey Bowl team that Nate is on is going to win, because after all that's been said of Nate, the one thing I will remember is that Nate's a winner," Beck said.
Touchdown or no touchdown.