The current success of Illinois senior wrestler Nate Patrick, whose No. 5 ranked Fighting Illini will invade Rec Hall for a dual meet on Sunday, has been earned by blood, sweat, tears and a lot of faith.

Patrick's Christian faith has guided him through a redshirt season the year he came to Illinois, and a season ending knee injury in his second year at Champaign.

"It was definitely hard sitting out my first two years," Patrick said. "I kept working, because my goal was to get back by the end of the season, but I didn't want to work it too hard and reinjure it."

He suffered another setback at last year's Big Ten Tournament. After finishing the season with a 34-5 record, placing him sixth all-time at Illinois for wins in a season, he won his way to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. In those semis, he hurt his knee and though he won the match, he defaulted the championship, and was unable to wrestle well in the NCAA tournament.

"It's been hard, but it's really helped me to grow faith-wise," Patrick said. "Even since last year, I feel much better spiritually and I think that's helped me to be successful."

That faith was battle-tested long before Patrick stepped foot in the Illinois wrestling room.

When Patrick was in eighth grade, his father, Ross, died of cancer, forcing his family to rely on their spirituality to cope with the grief.

"Faith was crucial for us," Nate's older brother Jason said. "It didn't take a situation like that to strengthen our faith, because we were church-goers all our lives, but it helps to know that there is something higher, something to look forward to."

Jason had to mature fast to take over the role as father figure for his brother.

"I knew I had to help support the family," Jason said. "Because we didn't have much money, and kids need guidance. I had my father long enough, and I had to set an example for Nate."

Jason's performance in that role allowed Nate to have a much easier time coping, and also made him become the wrestler that he is today.

"Having my older brother around helped a lot," Nate said. "He took over that father figure role immediately, and was there for me all through high school."

In his freshman and sophomore years at Naperville North High School in Naperville, Illinois, Patrick wrestled at 112 and 119 pounds. He qualified for the state tournament both years, but he felt that his strength was lacking compared to the upper classmen.

Jason was playing football at Eastern Washington University at the time. He was a freshman there when his father died, before the family moved from Vancouver, Wash., to Illinois. Jason stayed at school, but when he would come home, he did a lot of strength training with Nate.

"We did a lot of powerlifting," Jason said. "I had him flipping heavy tires, pushing vehicles in parking lots, and he managed to move up a weight class every year in high school."

Patrick had a growth spurt and wrestled at 140 in his junior year, and finished fourth in the state. In his senior year, the spurt continued. He moved up to 171 pounds and won the state title with a 22-0 record.

Jason has continued to work with Nate in college. He recently became a strength coach for every Illinois men's varsity sport except football and basketball, after serving as the strength coach for Loyola (Ill.).

"Jason really understands how you have to weight train for wrestling," Illinois assistant coach Jim Heffernan said. "Plus he's been around Nate for a long time, so he knows what he has to do, and he knows how to push him."

Patrick's sister Rebecca is a junior soccer player for the Fighting Illini, and with all three of her children living in Champaign, Nate's mother Karen moved in with Jason and his wife. Rebecca also lives with Jason.

"It's neat," Patrick said. "It's like not even being in college. I can go home and eat dinner and do my laundry when ever I want, and it's like they're all going through this with me."

Patrick has thrived with all of this, and is currently 22-2 on the season and ranked No. 2 in the nation according to Intermat at the 184-pound weight class.

His experience has helped mold him into a captain on the team, and his faith has made him a leader in the community. He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and of Athletes in Action, and gives a lot of speeches about his faith. As a captain, he is able to help the underclassman by sharing his experience on the bench with an injury early in his career.

"Nate's been through the grind," Heffernan said. "He's been on the outside looking in with his injury, so when he talks to freshman, they take what he says to hear. He tells them all to make every year count, even if they're going to redshirt, because you never know what's going to happen."

"He's also a really hard worker. He's as straight a kid as you'll find, he's gotten to be a strong student, and he's really active in the community. He's just a really well rounded kid."

Patrick may have to make the most of this year, because it may be his last as a collegiate wrestler. Parker has not yet received a medical redshirt for the knee injury that cost him his freshman season.

The Illinois coaches have petitioned for that redshirt, but the NCAA does not review those cases until after the athlete's senior season. According to assistant coach Jim Heffernan, Patrick has all the credentials to get a redshirt. Even so, he is wrestling this season like his last.

"I want to win the rest of my matches, and keep doing what I've been doing, trying to improve every day," Patrick said.

"But I know there's something bigger than wrestling out there, and I know God is in control."