PROVO — The pain of a sore hamstring was nothing compared to the pain BYU receiver/punt return specialist Nate Meikle felt standing on the sidelines at Rice-Eccles Stadium for the regular-season finale.
Unable to play, the injured Meikle was relegated to watching his teammates and cheering them on while the Cougars staged an amazing comeback against Utah on the last play of the game. While thrilled with the instant-classic victory, Meikle suffered the agony of missing out on the chance to contribute on the field that day.
"It's the only tarnish of my career, not being able to play in one of the most exciting games," he said. "Looking back, years from now, it will always kind of sting, knowing I couldn't play in that game. It was brutal. It's painful still."
Fortunately for Meikle, he has one more shot to ease that pain and to wear a BYU uniform, on Dec. 21, when the Cougars face Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl. No one is more grateful for one more contest than the 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior.
"This is now the biggest game of my life. My entire career culminates with this game," he said. "I'm 25 and it's going to be the last game of my life. I hope to have a big game and help our team win."
Meikle enjoyed a big game in last year's Las Vegas Bowl, when he set a bowl record and a school bowl record by hauling in 12 passes for 93 yards, with most of those catches coming in the second half as the Cougars rallied from a 35-14 deficit in the fourth quarter before falling, 35-28, to California.
"He was the reason we came back, in my opinion, through his heart and his toughness and character," said coach Bronco Mendenhall. "If it wasn't for his play, we wouldn't have come back and the game wouldn't have come down to the last drive to determine the outcome."
"It was just like summer ball," Meikle recalled of that night at Sam Boyd Stadium. "We were kind of running backyard football. (Quarterback) John (Beck) was looking at me, giving me plays. We made a nice run there at the end and almost won."
"In that bowl game, he was on fire," Beck said. "Nate's such a shifty guy, a lot of teams have a hard time guarding him."
During Christmas break last year, Mendenhall gave Meikle, a former walk-on, a scholarship.
"It was nice. When I first joined the team as a walk-on, I thought receiving a scholarship would be a culmination of all my efforts," said Meikle, who transferred to BYU from Snow Junior College. "Having played a year, it really wasn't. It was a nice benefit. It was appreciated and it was nice to be recognized. It relieved some financial burdens. But playing the game isn't comparable to a scholarship. I was surprised how little it meant to me, actually.
"At that point of my career, it didn't matter. What meant the most to me was that coach and the team could count on me," Meikle continued. "That he was willing to invest in me. It wasn't so much the money, as it was knowing that I was now someone he was counting on to contribute to our team's success. That was the best feeling — knowing that I was one of his guys."
During his football career, people were constantly telling Meikle he wasn't big enough or fast enough to play at BYU. Meikle proved them wrong, which is why Beck says Meikle's story is one that should inspire BYU fans for years to come.
"Nate Meikle should always be remembered for what he's contributed to this football program. I think most fans will remember him. For kids out there who think, 'People are telling me I can't do this, that I'm too small,' he's an example. People should never listen to the critics. They should believe in themselves. That's what Nate has done."
Meikle is admired by many within BYU's program, particularly Mendenhall.
"Nate's one of my favorite players of all-time, through his work ethic, through his heart and through the path he's traveled to get here," Mendenhall said. "Nothing's come easy for him. He hasn't expected anything. He's hasn't been entitled to anything. He's just earned, every step of the way, what he's achieved. That's the respect of this team, and the coaching staff. He's in a prominent spot in everything that we do. He's leading a punt return team that's he's the captain of that's one of the best in the nation. He's completely trustworthy. I think he's a young man of tremendous character."
While Beck is one of the faces of the program, he maintains that Meikle is the poster boy for Cougar football.
"Nate is the type of individual that BYU wants," Beck said. "He's a hard worker and exceeds expectations on the football field. He the kind of player the coaches want the younger players to emulate. Nate will be the first one to tell you that he doesn't have blazing speed. But he knows the game of football. He's an academic All-American. He's an overall good person, too."
Meikle wasn't expected to play against Utah because of the injured hamstring, but when he came out for pre-game warmups, he felt good and was ready to go. Then, on the last play of warm-ups, Meikle re-injured his hamstring.
Which makes the Las Vegas Bowl even more significant for him. It will mark Meikle's final appearance in a BYU uniform.
"I spend a lot of time thinking about that. This is it," he said. "My life's been pretty much football. My goal has been to play for BYU and to play in games like this. The last couple of weeks, that's about all I've thought about. I want to go out with a bang and help our team win. I want to enjoy it because come Dec. 22, I'll enter a new phase of my life."
Ironically, his last game will be against the coach that allowed him to walk-on at BYU in 2004. Former Cougar coach Gary Crowton is now Oregon's offensive coordinator.
"I was hoping to play Oregon just so I could talk to him again," Meikle said. "I owe him a big thanks for giving me a chance to play here. I remember the first day of practice. He was very nice to me and helpful. He's a very good coach and I'm excited to see him again."
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com