One September day in 2005, Sana Booker picked up the morning paper and saw a photo of her son, Cortlan Booker, splashed onto a page in the sports section. Being a Division I college football player, it wasn't unusual for her hometown paper to run stories on her son. However, this one was unlike the others.
The article told her family, friends and people she didn't even know Cortlan had violated an NCAA "extra benefits" violation by obtaining books that were recommended for classes, but not required. The story also reported one of West Lafayette's heroes would be suspended from the Ball State football program for four games.
"[Cortlan's] got me, no matter what the situation is," Sana said. "He was mine before he came to Ball State, and he still is."
Given two years to learn from that incident, Cortlan has not only become a starter on the defensive side of the ball, but a prominent leader in the program. Before the season, Cortlan was selected by his teammates as one of three captains along with sophomore center Dan Gerberry and fellow senior Chris Allen.
After being voted into the captaincy position by his teammates, Cortlan said he feels a great responsibility to the Cardinals' football program.
"It was interesting when we chose our three captains," Cortlan said. "I felt like I was the one who came up from a lot of different things. The other two guys and the captains we've had in the past seem like guys who always do the right things. They're always doing what's right - in the weight room, in conditioning and off the field. I just felt like I had to be forgiven for more things."
THE MATURATION PROCESS
On Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005, sanctions given to 48 student athletes within the Cardinals' athletic department became public knowledge. The sanctions came after the student athletes violated the NCAA's "extra benefits" rule by obtaining books that were recommended for classes, but not required.
Though 48 student athletes received sanctions, including 33 football players, Cortlan's four-game suspension was the harshest punishment given to anyone involved and limited him to seven games during the 2005 season. Cortlan lost 30 percent of his sophomore season, because that was the established suspension for student athletes receiving more than $500 in text book benefits.
That time was a difficult period for Cortlan, who was raised in a Christian household and brought up with strong morals by his mother. However, Cortlan said his time away from football taught him a lot and was instrumental in his process of becoming a young adult.
"You learn life lessons through everything that you do," Cortlan said. "Anytime that you have to take a time out from football, a time out from life, you just have to step back and take a look at where you want to be as a man - in my case - and what you want to be known as. At those times you just suck it up and try to do the right thing."
The news of Cortlan's involvement not only became public knowledge in Muncie, but it was also printed in the newspaper in his hometown. To Sana, the most difficult part of the situation was people she didn't know were aware of what was happening with her family.
"That's one of those adult things you step into," Sana said. "But the consequences were not only severe, they were public. Most adults make mistakes, but they also get to hide it. I think that was the toughest thing for him."
No matter how difficult it was for Cortlan to accept the time away from football, Sana made sure her son took responsibility for his actions. She had raised her son to know right from wrong, and had stressed to him the importance of admitting to one's mistakes. It didn't matter to her 47 other young adults were involved in the incident. The only thing that held any significance to Sana was Cortlan had made a wrong choice.
However, Sana also wanted to stress to her son he was loved unconditionally, despite the decision he made. The day the news of his sanctions became public, Sana and Cortlan took a walk around their neighborhood.
"He knows he's loved across the board," Sana said. "That's the first thing I told him when the news became public."
While Sana, along with Cortlan's father, Carl Booker, constantly showed their support, Hoke also took it upon himself to make sure Booker maintained a positive attitude. Cortlan was away from the team for a month, but Hoke wanted his player to feel like he belonged.
Though Cortlan was a key member of the Cardinals' defense that would go on to start three games his sophomore year, Hoke didn't think of Cortlan as a football player. Instead, he told Cortlan to concentrate on being a well-rounded student and a person.
"[Players] have to know that you care," Hoke said. "Really the second thing to me is the football part of it. The most important thing is them as people and how they handle the adversity that everyday life presents to all of us. I just think it's a matter of you being honest at all times and you being there for them."
Looking back on the incident, Sana said her son's time away from football, "didn't hinder his development as an adult." Cortlan's football coaches also recognize a vast difference in his maturity level compared to two years ago. They constantly remind Cortlan of how proud they are that the senior has his priorities in order.
Cortlan said hearing that from his coaches means more to him than anything he does on the field.
"I was talking with one of my coaches recently, and they said that I have come a long way as a person," Cortlan said. "And that as much as anything meant a lot to me because I feel like I've grown up here in this Ball State football program. The discipline that they taught me has really helped me to be a more complete person."
SANA BOOKER
Even with the support of people within Ball State's football program, Cortlan said the success he's experienced wouldn't be possible without Sana. "My mother is the star of my family," Cortlan said. "And anybody that knows us knows that."
During the last four years, Cortlan started 19 of the 31 games he's played in. Every home game, Sana has been in the stands cheering for her son. This year, she plans to make both home and away games, including trips to Navy this Saturday and the University Nebraska the weekend after.
Though Sana attends the overwhelming majority of Ball State games, Cortlan jokes she hasn't actually watched him play since his high school days in West Lafayette.
"She sits there with her eyes closed," Cortlan said. "She can't stand to see me because she thinks I'm going to get hurt or make a bad play. But as soon as my name gets called or someone tells her I did something good she jumps up and says, 'That's my baby.' So I know she's proud of me."
Sana said she can't stand to hear the sound of pads exploding against each other because football is such a violent sport. She covers her eyes because once the play starts, it's impossible for her to differentiate between her son and the other 21 players on the field.
"I tell him sometimes to play nice because there are other mothers out there, too," Sana said.
Though she regularly gets out of her seat and walks around the stadium, she said she views her presence at football games as mandatory.
"You always see football players standing around after games, and you know they're waiting to hug their mothers," Sana said. "They're waiting to see the rest of their family and friends, too. But a mother has a special connection to their son."
Cortlan also has to make sure he gets grades his mother would approve. The senior is on schedule to graduate at the end of the year, and will be receiving a teaching degree.
"When Cortlan went to Ball State, he went there to be a great teacher," Sana said. "Ball State took him there to be a good football player. I expect his grades to come first. He's 22, but my position as his mom has not changed. That would be the first conversation I'd have with Coach Hoke."
It's a stance Cortlan has gotten used to over the years.
"She doesn't even like football," he said with a laugh. "But I know she's my biggest fan."
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Cortlan still has mischievousness side to his personality. He likes to have fun, goof off and crack jokes when he's away from the field. But when it's time to play football, Cortlan becomes a different person.
"I kind of see myself as Iron Man," the comic book fan said of the superhero. "When I'm off the field, I'm just a regular guy. I'm laid back and I like to joke around and have a good time. But when I put on that exoskeleton he had - and for me that's my pads and my helmet - when I get that on, I become a warrior and I'm ready for battle. It's all about business at that point. No one can touch me."
Cortlan has also handled difficult situations on the football field. Though he was recruited out of high school as a linebacker, he played most of his junior season as a defensive end. Cortlan, who wrestled in the 215-pound weight class during his senior year of high school, added weight to his 6-foot-2 frame in order to compete against bigger players. He now weighs 245 pounds.
Playing in a new position, Cortlan experienced immediate success. Anchoring the defensive line, Cortlan led the Cardinals with five sacks. He also had the second-most tackles among returning player with 64, 14 of which resulted in a loss of yardage.
Hoke said he knew immediately upon joining his team Cortlan would be successful lining up in a three-point stance.
"When he came in as a linebacker I can remember the first year and a half I told him, 'Book, you're gonna be a defensive lineman and not a linebacker,'" Hoke said. "He didn't really want to respond to that because he had played linebacker in high school. It was just a matter of a couple more months that we spoke again and I said, 'your best football is gonna be played with your hand on the ground rushing the quarterback.' So he bought into that, and I think he's really worked hard at the position."
Though Hoke was adamant in his belief Cortlan should play on the defensive line, he left the decision to switch positions up to Booker instead of forcing a change in position. Booker said he appreciates the patience Hoke used when trying to convince him to move to defensive end.
"I have the utmost respect for him because of that," Cortlan said. "He told me he thought I would be a better defensive end, and initially I disagreed with him. He didn't pressure me to change my position because he said if my heart wasn't in it I wouldn't be successful. Eventually I decided to change positions, and it obviously worked out pretty well last year."
Entering the 2007 season, Cortlan was preparing for another season in the trenches of the defensive line. However, an injury to middle linebacker Wendell Brown - who would've been the top returning tackler with 83 - left the Cardinals with a thin linebacker core.
With Brown lost for the season, Booker moved back to his natural position. This time, it's a move Hoke is fully behind.
"He's bought into our system defensively," Hoke said. "He's asked to do quite a bit. At linebacker he's able to rush the passer on the blitz and also drop back [into coverage]. He's just critical to our defense if we want to have success."
Though it's difficult for any player to switch back and forth between positions on the field and maintain success, Cortlan said practice and good coaching have made it easier for him.
"I've been doing this since my sophomore year where I'll do linebacker and then we'll switch personnel, and I'll put my hand on the ground and rush the passer," Cortlan said. "There's definitely a learning curve because you have to know the nuances of each position. But the thing is, I try to take coaching well. And it's not always the easiest thing to listen to people when they're telling you you're doing something wrong. But the best thing is that every play we do in practice is on tape. You watch it so it's easy to be corrected because if someone tells you you're doing something wrong and you can't personally see it, you're going to tell them they're full of it."
LIFE AFTER MUNCIE
As a senior playing in his last season at Ball State, Cortlan has one goal on his mind to close out his Ball State career.
"I take a lot of pride in my position as captain, and there's a lot of responsibility that goes along with it," Cortlan said. "Coach Hoke had a talk with me just a couple days ago about what he expects out of me. He told me that I have to be constantly raising my game because the thing about football is it's a team game, but every time one person gets better, the whole team gets better. So I have to raise my level of play, just like the people around me have to raise their level of play, so that we can make something really special. Everything I do is so we can get that MAC Championship ring at the end of the season."
Though he's currently consumed with making the most of his final season, the senior still has time to think about life after his football eligibilty dries up and graduation commences. Cortlan's backup plan is to be a teacher. However, his primary desire to remain on the football field.
"Football is always temporary," Cortlan said. "It's going to end. Whether you start playing in high school and don't go to college, it's going to end. But the thing with me is, you play as long as you can. And what I'm going to do is I'm going to keep playing football until nobody wants me anymore. So I'm going to focus on the season, and then whatever happens after that happens."
Sana said she hasn't had conversations with her son about him playing football after college. In her opinion, Cortlan would make an excellent teacher someday.
But whatever her son's dream is, Sana said she will support it to the end.
"There's a lot of young men that play football well and want to go to the NFL," Sana said. "When I think of Cortlan after he graduates, I think of him as a teacher because he's so gifted with children. But if the opportunity presents itself, and it's still his dream, I will fully support it. And I'll probably be traveling around to all his games like I will be this year."
Likewise, when Hoke thinks about what Cortlan will be doing next season he said he's more proud about the person he'll be rather than the football talent he'll leave with.
"I have a tremendous love for Book," Hoke said. "You always like to see those kids come through. That's why you coach because when Book leaves here, he's going to be a tremendous citizen. He's going to be a tremendous father someday, a tremendous husband and somebody out in the community that we're all going to be proud to call a Ball State grad."
As for Cortlan, the senior said he isn't finished working on the image he will leave for the Ball State community when he's gone.
"I want to be known as somebody who really cared, not just about the game, but about the people involved in the program," Cortlan said. "My ultimate goal, and some of the younger guys don't know this yet, but we have a group of young players that remind me of myself at a younger age. My job is for them to be better than me. I want to do everything I can do to make sure that they can be better. My job is to keep them from making the same mistakes that I made."
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