by Justin Breen
Daily Illini sports reporter

This is the first of a two-part profile on Illini quarterback Mark Hoekstra.

If two tears came from the eyes of Illinois quarterback Mark Hoekstra, one would be dark blue and the other would be bright orange. The tears reflect the sadness of a career that should have been better; the colors show the love and admiration he places on his teammates and the University.

No one player realizes the disappointments and tribulations of the last four years of Illinois football more than Hoekstra. The fifth-year senior from Grand Rapids, Mich., has been benched twice for freshmen and won only one of his nine starts. In one game at Arizona, he threw a record five interceptions in one quarter.

Nothing has been easy for Hoekstra in his tenure here. In five years, he’s seen two different head coaches -- Lou Tepper and Ron Turner -- two offensive coordinators and three quarterback coaches. He’s had to deal with different systems and different attitudes.

"There has never been a solid base for me," Hoekstra said. "You’ve been taught so many things, so it’s hard to know what to hold on to and what to let go. It’s very difficult to build chemistry in your offense when it’s constantly changing."

Yet, Hoekstra has fought through the bad times to find something better than poor stats and fans that boo more than cheer. He’s turned negatives into positives. He’s realized the friendship from teammates and a quality education is more important than putting points on the scoreboard.

"It’s been a roller-coaster ride," said Hoekstra, who will graduate with a degree in speech communications. "I’ve always appreciated coming here. The lessons I’ve learned have been so valuable. I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do. Would my fortunes have worked out better somewhere else? Who knows."

The 6-foot-4 Hoekstra looks like a football player. His face is well defined, almost perfectly suited to stare through a helmet. His body size is ideal for a college quarterback. He has big hands and a bigger smile.

Before coming to Illinois, Hoekstra was a local legend in his native Michigan. He won three state championships and two second place finishes at East Grand Rapids High School. He was a three-sport star, including an all-state lacrosse player and an all-conference hockey player.

But his main gist was football. Looking at the awards won by Hoekstra in high school is like reading a short essay: All-state quarterback, all-Midwest selection, a top-22 pro-style passer in the nation. In 1993, he led his high school to a 13-0 record and a state championship. He threw for over 1,500 yards and connected for 15 touchdowns. His numbers and ability were so great that Illinois wanted Hoekstra more than current Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb, a nominee for the Heisman Trophy -- the award for best player in college football.

But many college players have awesome high school resumes. Hoekstra knew the success in high school wouldn’t immediately transfer to the college level.

"I never thought that just because I was successful in high school that I’d be successful here," he said. "In college you have to work twice as hard. A lot of people come in with the attitude that they’ll play a few years here and then go to the NFL. If people think that way, then usually it will be their downfall."

Hoekstra red-shirted his first year in 1994, learning the ropes of what it would take to play college football. He practiced, and when things didn’t click, he practiced some more. He watched the Illini go to their sixth bowl game in seven years, a 37-0 win against East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl.

He finally got a chance to play late in the 1995 season, when Illinois had a 5-5-1 record. As the team’s No. 3 quarterback behind Johnny Johnson, an NFL draftee, and Scott Weaver, Hoekstra spent nearly the entire season on the bench.

His most memorable moment at Illinois came late in the season. He completed one pass in his only appearance, a blowout win against Minnesota.

"I had seven snaps against Minnesota," he said. "It was just incredible. It was a whole different atmosphere than practice. After almost two years of complete practice, it was a great feeling to get back out there."

In 1996, the feelings of joy turned into shock and guilt in Hoekstra’s first action of the season. It was Hoekstra’s worst moment in college.

Starting the season 0-2 and in desperate need for a win, Illinois traveled to face Pac 10 powerhouse, Arizona. Trailing 9-0 in the fourth quarter against the Wildcats, Hoekstra replaced Weaver, who went down with a hip-pointer injury. Hoekstra, who had the Illini moving down the field on his first drive after replacing Weaver, felt confident that they had a chance to win their first game of the season.

But with Illinois on the verge of scoring a touchdown, Hoekstra threw an interception, his first of five in the quarter, an Illinois record. The Illini, on their way to a 2-9 record in what would be Tepper’s last season, wound up losing the game 41-0.

"It was just shell shock," Hoekstra said. "It wasn’t embarrassing, but I felt guilty to my teammates. Everybody stumbles in life, just not in front of so many people. It was just an awful experience, but it made me stronger."

His first start came later in the season, again against Minnesota. Hoekstra almost led the Illini to a victory, but the Orange and Blue came up just short in a 23-21 decision. Hoekstra just wanted to be part of the challenge.

"I was nervous as hell before the game," he said. "I don’t think there’s anything in life that takes more preparation than playing the quarterback position. So many things are depending on your capabilities. It’s a lot to deal with, and it’s a lot of fun. Everybody’s looking to you."

1997 was Hoekstra’s most influential campaign with the Illini. With Turner’s new Pro-style offense and current St. Louis Rams’ star Robert Holcombe in the backfield, Hoekstra was supposed to lead the Illini back to respectability nationally and in the Big Ten.

Turner was a major influence on Hoekstra. While Tepper favored the defensive side of the ball, Turner was Hoekstra’s kind of coach, an offensive-minded specialist with the quarterback in mind. Tepper was quiet, Turner friendly and approachable.

"I never talked to Tepper because he spent a lot of time with the defense," Hoekstra said. "Turner was personable. I went from not having any contact with the head coach to having someone who was my coach. I liked it."

What happened that season was a reality check of the greatest proportions. The Illini