AMES, Ia. — Iowa State quarterback Kyle Kempt knew that when — or even if— he returned to the field this season from an MCL injury, a starting spot wouldn’t be waiting for him again.

He also knew that he might not even receive any more playing time, period, with the emergence of freshman Brock Purdy.

But that didn’t stop Kempt from working.

“I don’t know if I will play the rest of the season,” Kempt said. "I understand that completely. But the biggest thing for me was that I was able to come back and be able to get to this point again and be such a big influence on this team. That’s the big thing for me.

"Even if it’s not on the field, I want to help this program as much as possible and I want my influence to be felt for years to come.”

The thought was that Kempt would do it with his play on the field. The former walk-on stormed onto the scene last season, taking over the starting spot when Jacob Park left the team. Kempt made the most of the chance, going 5-3 as the starter guiding Iowa State to wins over No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 4 Texas Christian and No. 18 Memphis in the Liberty Bowl. The NCAA granted Kempt a sixth season of eligibility and he entered this season as a captain and clear-cut starter.

But things haven’t gone anywhere close to according to plan for Kempt, who struggled in a 13-3, season-opening loss to Iowa before being injured. He was replaced by Zeb Noland, who struggled himself, and then Purdy, who has pumped new life into the program.

Kempt, meanwhile, worked through a long and strenuous rehab regime and battled self-doubt.

“That’s kind of what happens when you get injured,” Kempt said. “You just go through these mental battles throughout the entire time. There was no timeline — that was kind of the thing that scared me. There would be weeks where we’d make no progress and I’d be like, ‘Wow, am I going to get better for the rest of the season?’ That was difficult.”

Kempt kept a positive face, though, and he found a new role with the Cyclones, coaching up Noland before he transferred and later Purdy when he took over the starting spot. Kempt watched film with them. He didn't care that he was training his replacement or that his final season was being derailed.

“You could sulk,” said Iowa State coach Matt Campbell. “You could be disappointed in it. But all Kyle did was pour himself into Brock. So, I think the greatest thing I’ve seen is that leadership and ownership in team. Brock would tell you, Kyle’s as important to his success as anybody.”

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Kempt suited up for the first time since the injury in last week's game against Texas Tech, but didn't play. The scenario didn't bother him.

“Coach Campbell has talked about it — we’re not promised our hopes and dreams, but at the end of the day, I have to control what I can, and I think everything that I’ve been through up to this point has helped me to that.

"I was voted a captain. I’ve been here forever. These guys look to me to be a leader. So what I can I do to help this team out?”

Kempt understood that it meant mentoring Purdy, the new starting quarterback, even now that Kempt is healthy. It’s not the perfect ending for Kempt, who was one of the Cinderella stories of college football last season. He said he’s still happy with how things have gone.

“I would say I’m happy what it’s been,” Kempt said. “I don’t think it’s over, in any regards. We have so much playing time left in the rest of the season.”

If his role the rest of the season is just coaching, though, he’s fine with taking half an eye toward the future.

“It’s something I’ve put a lot of thought into,” Kempt said. “I think being healthy now, maybe at some point I’d like to pursue an opportunity to play at the next level. And then if that doesn’t work out, then I’d love to be here. I’ve talked to them about that. For me, it’d be awesome to stay here and help Iowa State in any way I can.”

For now, he can help provide depth to Iowa State's quarterback spot, with Noland opting to transfer. Kempt said his full health is a big victory on its own.

"I've worked so hard just to get to this point," Kempt said. "The time and effort that I've put into this offseason alone kind of pales in comparisons to what I've gone through up to this point. For me, it was just getting back. I've worked my ass off to get to this point."