Returning to Texas to Finish Career, Martin Says UW 'Exceeded My Wishes by Miles'
Jeremiah Martin began his college football career in Texas and he'll finish up there.
Heading into the Alamo Bowl against the Texas Longhorns on Dec. 29 in San Antonio, the University of Washington edge rusher will return to the Lone Star state where he spent three seasons at Texas A&M before joining the Huskies for the past two.
The 6-foot-4, 267-pound Martin had to experience three different college coaching staffs before maximizing his talents this past season and becoming an NFL prospect.
Give the departed Jimmy Lake credit for bringing this powerful player to Seattle through the transfer portal; however, Kalen DeBoer's staff gets to take a sweeping bow for unleashing Martin and his football talents at full bore and helping turn him into a first-team, All-Pac-12 selection.
"It has exceeded my wishes by miles, man," Martin said of changing schools. "I really love the purple and gold. I'm going to bleed purple and gold the rest of my life."
From San Bernardino, California, Martin was the one who nearly came to the UW out of high school, listening to the recruiting overtures of Chris Petersen and his running-backs coach Keith Bhonapha, but Martin decided he had to sample the SEC, plus his grandmother wasn't keen on the coed dorms in Seattle.
While he played right away and played often for the Aggies, appearing in 32 games over three seasons, he was never a starter, getting on the field only as a reserve edge rusher and a special-teams player.
"I was too young, I was young-minded," Martin said of getting stuck on the A&M depth chart. "I put in the work, but I was young-minded. Once you get older, you understand a lot more. Looking back on the past, I don't dwell on it, but I try to keep going and keep growing as a person, as a father and as a public figure."
MARTIN'S SEASON TO REMEMBER
Martin didn't start on the college level until the 2021 Apple Cup against Washington State and he hasn't come out of the opening lineup since.
He finished the regular season with 38 tackles, including 11 for lost yardage and 8.5 sacks — the latter number ranking him third in the conference. He also forced two fumbles, broke up a pass and had 5 quarterback hurries.
Martin felt everything begin to come to an end for him as a college football player with the UW-Colorado outing, which was his final Husky Stadium game appearance and honored him and the other graduating players.
Once at the Alamo Bowl, he'll find himself just 170 miles away from College Station, where he showed up to hit people as a teenager. He's 60 pounds heavier now. He's much more worldly as a player. He's a 22-year-old man, father of two boys, including one born this past season, and an NFL prospect.
"I see my coaches get emotional and I was like, damn, this is the last time I'm playing in college, at least at Husky Stadium," Martin said. "It's such a surreal experience."
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