TJ alum, Derrick Martin, looks back on his Spartan football days and his amazing experiences in professional football.
Photo Courtesy Getty Images
The name Derrick Martin is sacred within the TJ halls, and now he has added another Super Bowl ring to his repertoire.
“There was nothing like playing football,” Martin told this reporter in an exclusive phone interview with the Journal. “Under the lights on Friday night was a great experience among us all.” Derrick Martin played quarterback for the Spartans in 2001 and 2002, and vividly remembers it. “Junior year was really my first year as the starting quarterback,” said Martin. “I remember playing the homecoming game, and there was nothing like it. We also had a great little playoff run my senior year,” said Martin, who was also an All-State defensive back and continued to play defensive back, up through the pros.
Yet, Martin wasn’t just known for playing football; he was also a track star for the Spartans.“We were a great track and field team too my senior year because we won state,” said Martin.
This was also the time when Martin became motivated by his own actions. Athletic Director Lani Nobles suspended Martin and other seniors from the track team for breaking team rules. “They really didn’t do anything bad,” she explained. On a Saturday in May, Martin and the team were at an All-City Track meet which was rained out. The team was told to go home, and the meet would be rescheduled for a later time. Martin and other track team members instead of heading home went to the Aurora Public Schools Relays, at first to simply watch. “I later got a call from the Denver Athletic Director telling me we won the Aurora Relays,” said Nobles. “But there was no proof of us every entering.” Martin and his track friends had entered the Relays on the sly as a joke, and won the events that they ran in, without a coach at the meet, or TJ actually being registered to run in the Relays. TJ had to humbly return all the awards from the track meet, and had no other choice than to discipline Martin and the teammates that ran with him. “We were serious about it, and they were upset. We only suspended them from the team for a week, though,” said Nobles.
Derrick Martin celebrates with his family.
Martin says that the suspension was a real wake-up call for him. “Nobles really hit home for me. She took away something I loved, and it just gave me motivation to win in track, and begin to take responsibility for my actions,” said Martin, who left a large impact on TJ sports, and it shows by getting his jersey retired in the TJ gym.
Nobles said, “After we retired Daniel Graham’s number in the gym, Martin [then a student at TJ] came up to me and told me, ‘Leave a spot up there for me!’ I said that I would, only if he made a large impact in college athletics and then at the professional level. He said he would, and I kept my promise, too. I left that spot for him.” At the collegiate level, Martin played for the University of Wyoming, and according to the Wyoming Athletics website, “Martin was a leading All-American Candidate in 2005. He ranked 14th in the nation in passes defended in 2004.”
Martin says he thoroughly enjoyed playing college football at its highest level. “It’s a blast playing Division One football. You compare your level of play with the best in the nation, and you get an education that is truly bar-none,” said Martin.
Martin left college early to be selected in the 2006 NFL Draft, and was the 208th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens. Martin went to the pros earlier because he, according to Nobles, wanted to begin providing for his mother. “Martin came all the way from Lakewood to go to TJ, and grew up poor. He went into the draft one year earlier to buy a house for his mom, and he did just that.”
Martin debuted in 2007 with the Baltimore Ravens as a safety and recorded 32 tackles, according to NFL.com. Martin was then traded to the storied franchise of the Green Bay Packers, and became an important special team player for the team. Martin was part of the Packers when they won Super Bowl 45, but was on injured reserve at the time and was unable to play. Martin was cut after a successful tenure in Green Bay, and eventually got picked up by the New York Giants in free agency. Once again, Martin was an important part of the special teams and was a part of the Giants’ Super Bowl 46 championship run. “Being on a Super Bowl team is the best experience,” said Martin. “Everything is awesome, and all the comradery is with the team. We were 7-7 at one point in the season, and remained resilient. Once we started winning, obviously we were hard to stop.” The Giants beat the Patriots in Super Bowl 46, 21-17, and the Giants ended the season with six straight wins.
Martin says his favorite game this year was the Divisional Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. “Playing in Green Bay again was fun, and I knew all the guys on the other side. More importantly, we got the win,” said Martin, who recovered a key onside kick for the Giants as the Packers looked to creep back into the game.
Even with the busy life of a pro football player, Martin says he still wants to give back to the TJ community. Each year in late May, Martin holds a youth football/cheerleading camp at TJ. “I always want to lend a helping hand to the school’s community. So I started the camp, and donate to the school,” said Martin. The camp that Martin holds is for 6-13 year olds and works on all aspects of the game. The kids learn the fundamentals of football, and more importantly, have a great time. For the young girls, Martin gets cheerleading coaches to work with the youth. Every participant gets a shirt, and everything is free. “I know how hard it is to have to pay for camps,” said Martin, “so I made sure that it was free. I learned to love football from camps that I went to as a kid.” Martin also continues to help the TJ football team, by assisting with practice when he can. “I do some defensive back drills, and try to help the players succeed,” said Martin.
Martin is a free agent in this coming off-season and he hopes to sign on soon. Martin was a great TJ football player and track star. He plays with the greatest athletes in the world in the National Football League. Yet, according to Nobles, Martin’s best aspect is, “…the humility that he presents himself with, and the fact that he gives back to the TJ community.”
Recently, another Spartan Alum – who works as a reporter for CBS4 – Dominic Garcia, had the chance to interview his old high school classmate. You can see it here.
