An ACL tear is one of the most devastating injuries that can ever occur to an athlete.

Last weekend, joining the club of athletes that have suffered such an injury, which already includes Buffalo Bills running back Willis McGahee and former Yankee third baseman Aaron Boone, was Penn State men's rugby captain Brett Cowan.

He is most likely out for the rest of the season.

"I am pretty upset with it," Cowan said. "It is not what you would expect in your last year."

Rugby is a physical game. Injuries are always a concern, but the athletes have to block out their likelihood. They twist, turn and move their bodies in ways they weren't built for. "Dump" tackles, which involve hitting the opponent in the stomach while simultaneously lifting their legs off the ground and driving them into the ground with full force are celebrated. Despite this, Cowan couldn't have ever imagined the way it occurred.

It started with something he has done a million times over. He was rucking the ball, doing what every flanker or forward is supposed to do, which is fetch the ball for the backs. But this time, as he was rucking the ball, someone else who was also rucking fell over on his leg and bent it in a way that can only be imaginable in movies. Everyone was shocked.

"We are all really upset with what happened especially with the severity," forward Jason Fisher said.

Cowan started his career on the B-side of the Ruggers playing the flanker position. He quickly rose through the ranks and this year, while still playing the flanker position, he was also named team captain.

"He is a good kid that has a good set of morals," Fisher said. "He wouldn't force people to do things that he wouldn't do."

He boxed during his freshman year but decided it wasn't for him. He liked the physicality but missed the team aspect of sports. Cowan embarked on a search for another sport and immediately stumbled upon rugby during the fall semester in his sophomore year.

His kamikaze attitude quickly gained the attention of other team members.

"I was pretty impressed with his athleticism," Fisher said. "He always came up hard on defense and knocked guys who were twice his side back."

He hasn't looked back since as he continued his meteoric rise to captain of the Ruggers.

"It has been the best three years of my life," Cowan said. "I feel like I have a productive career, but it kind of stinks the way it ended."

But the end might not be so soon.

After speaking with Doctors this week, who informed him that his knee was stable enough, Cowan might be playing in the game against Ohio State in Boulder, Colo., for the Sweet 16 this weekend. Even if doesn't play he could make his presence felt another way.

"I will do everything I can in the next two days to get myself ready for the game," Cowan said.

It is still a game time decision. But he wants to play, as this is his last chance to win a national championship.

He also wants to inspire his teammates as they go up against a tough and physically imposing Buckeyes side that beat them last season.

"Being a captain has taught me a lot about responsibility and I am going to give them everything I can," Cowan said. He also added that he would feel better if he at least tried.

The Ruggers can ill afford to lose someone of his stature. He brings a lot to the team with his aggressive style of play and his ability to bring his teammates together to function as one.

"That is a big loss," Ruggers coach Terry Ryland said. "It is going to be hard to replace him."

Everything is on the line for the Ruggers. Their national championship aspirations, their season and their captain.

For Brett Cowan, even with his busted knee, his eyes are set on the prize, a national championship.