Like many of the members of the Penn State wrestling team, redshirt sophomore Mark Becks has a lot of family connections in the sport of wrestling.

Luckily for the Nittany Lions, he chose not to follow them.

His oldest brother Charlie Jr. finished second at the NCAA championships in 1996 in his senior year at Ohio State, and his brother Brett is a redshirt junior, wrestling at 197 pounds for Indiana University.

However, when Becks graduated from Lake Catholic High School in Concord, Ohio with a 4.0 grade point average and an Ohio state championship at 160-pounds in tow, he did not visit either Indiana or Ohio State. He ventured to Harvard, Cornell, Oklahoma and Penn State before choosing to be a Nittany Lion.

"My parents would've liked me to go with Brett, but they didn't pressure me at all. And things just didn't work out that way," Becks said. "Penn State had the perfect combination of solid academics and a good wrestling program and I was hoping to go into business, so the quality of the business school influenced my decision."

Instead of pressuring him to follow his brothers' footsteps, Mark's parents, Charlie Sr. and Lynette, have made the trips to both Bloomington and State College from their home in Concord to see Brett and Mark's matches.

"It's certainly been a big time challenge for my wife and I," Charlie Sr. said. "It's been difficult for us to juggle our work schedules, but we enjoy it. We just try to show our commitment to supporting out sons through college."

Charlie, a Division III National Champion at John Carroll University, was an assistant coach for his sons in high school, and continues to help them out in college. He is often on the floor before Becks' matches, giving him advice and loosening him up.

"I'm not trying to do the coach's job," Charlie said. "I just try to encourage him to concentrate.

"I've just tried to instill in them a commitment to working hard, and to help them refine their skills, and to help them develop the ability to follow through on takedowns."

Mark's decision not to stick to his brothers' trails has taken a lot of tread of the Becks' family car's tires, but it has paid big dividends for the Nittany Lions. He has become one of the squad's unquestioned clubhouse leaders.

He is 18-10 on the season at 174 pounds, with his highlight of the campaign being his upset of No. 8 ranked Ben King of Illinois, the only victory the Lions could muster against the Fighting Illini. This comes after a solid freshman season in which he went 21-14, and 5-3 in Big Ten dual meets. He is one of the team's elder statesman, one of just four returning starters on the Nittany Lion squad, two of which being true sophomores.

Becks isn't what you'd consider a loud mouth, he is naturally the type of guy who leads by his actions.

"I try to be a lead-by-example type person," Becks said. "I'm not going to be one of those guys who goes crazy screaming and hollering, and getting in people's faces, but I just try to make sure everyone's doing the right thing in practice and that everybody's staying intense."

According to teammates, Becks has been taking a more vocal role this year, but his well respected work ethic is what garners him the most respect from his fellow wrestlers.

"Everyone knows Becks doesn't like to lose," assistant coach Ross Thatcher said. "He has such a great work ethic."

Becks has had to use his intensity towards becoming a more aggressive wrestler. Penn State wrestling coach Troy Sunderland has noticed that after getting the initial takedown, Becks will often go on the defensive and takes fewer chances in matches. The coaches have worked on improving that most of the season. Sunderland has been pleased with the progress.

"His intensity has definitely improved this season," he said. "There have been a lot of matches recently where he has taken a lot more chances, and a lot more risks. I think it's something he can improve upon, but I think the great competition he's faced is helping him do that."

Becks credibility as a leader and a good example to the younger wrestlers is strengthened by his performance in the class room. A business major, he currently holds a 3.17 grade point average.

He has also asserted himself as a team leader by becoming the team's representative in the Student Athlete Advisory Board, which allows Penn State athletes to unite to discuss issues concerning student athletes, and also to do community service. The SAAB raises money for the IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, and also sent out athletes to speak at area schools for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

"Mark is definitely one of those guys we can point to when we're doing recruiting that shows we're not just trying to produce good wrestlers, we're trying to produce student athletes," Thatcher said. "And when the freshman are bogged down with work, and they don't know how to get it done, we show them guys like Becks, guys who are sucking it up, doing the work, and sacrificing social lives to wrestle and to become good students."

With the very young team the Nittany Lions have, Becks' presence has been important in easing the transition of younger athletes.

Freshman Cliff Wonsettler wrestles at Becks' weight class, and has witnessed his leadership capabilities and talent as a wrestler first hand. He also shows a lot of respect for what Becks has accomplished.

"He's definitely someone for all of us freshmen to look up to," he said. "He's an all-around person. He's got a lot of qualities that will take him far in life. The coaches want guys in here just like him."

All of this has made his well-traveled family proud.

"My wife and I are both very supportive, and both very proud of all our sons have done," Charlie said. "We're happy that they've become not just good wrestlers but productive citizens. Clearly that's the big picture."