Coming Off His Best College Game, Martin Looks to Top It at Cal

The Husky edge rusher has developed into a playmaker.

If people haven't noticed, Jeremiah Martin recently hit several milestones — new father, star player, versatile player.

Against Arizona last weekend, two days following the birth of his second son, the 6-foot-4, 267-pound Martin played in his 50th college football game, which was by far his best outing, in a combined career spanning the University of Washington and Texas A&M.

On that Saturday in a 49-39 victory, the senior edge rusher came up with a personal-best 9 tackles, including a pair of sacks, and was named Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week. It was by far the most productive outing of his long-winding career that's taken him from his home state of California to Texas and now Washington. He'd never had more than 5 tackles in a college game before.

Transferring from the SEC to the Pac-12 was the best move Martin could have made to become, dare we say, an NFL prospect.

"The rent's due," he said whimsically. "Like every week, you've got to get your deposits in."

Martin has self-admitted that he was something of an underachiever at Texas A&M, appearing in 32 games over three seasons. While he regularly stepped on the field, mostly on special teams, he had 11 tackles, no sacks and no starts. He did what was required of him, but not the extra work needed to be great.

It was more of the same for him in his first season at the UW. He played in 11 games and  had 13 tackles, 1 sack and 1 start.

Then the light came on for Martin, with Kalen DeBoer's new coaching staff spotting the unused potential and athleticism in him, and coaxing it out. For the Huskies, the big defender now totals 8 starts in 18 career games in Montlake with 39 tackles over two seasons and 6 sacks.

Not only do the Husky coaches line him up on the edge and let him go, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb creatively put him at a tight-end position against Arizona and had him provide the lead blocking for running back Cam Davis' short, first-half touchdown run.

Imagine that, a two-way player.

"He hinted at that in fall camp and I thought he's joking," Martin said of Grubb.

Martin is capable of so many things. As a high school basketball player, he averaged 27.3 points and 15 rebounds a game for El Cajon High School in San Bernardino, California.

"I play one through five," he said, kidding when asked for his position. Or was he?

Martin probably is down to four regular-season college football games and a bowl outing at the UW, with the latter guaranteed by a victory over California if that happens this weekend.

He still looks like an SEC player, all rangy and overly athletic, only now he plays like one, knocking people down and sacking them. The new staff has brought this out of him in impressive fashion. 

With a family that's growing larger all the time, Martin has added responsibility and even more reason to be great at football and see where this game takes him. This new dad and old player by far is much more mature about his approach to it all.

"I've just got to keep my composure, keep my feet where they are," Martin said. "Just walk the path I'm given."

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