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Adrian Martinez (American football)

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Adrian Martinez
refer to caption
Martinez in 2022
No. 15 – New York Jets
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (2000-01-07) January 7, 2000 (age 24)
Hanford, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:Clovis West (Clovis, California)
College:Nebraska (2018–2021)
Kansas State (2022)
Undrafted:2023
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
  • UFL MVP (2024)
  • UFL champion (2024)
  • UFL Championship Game MVP (2024)
  • All-UFL team (2024)
  • UFL rushing leader (2024)
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Adrian Martinez (born January 7, 2000)[1] is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and Nebraska Cornhuskers. He also played for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL) in 2024, leading the league in rushing yards, as well as making the All-UFL team, earning season MVP, championship game MVP, and winning the 2024 UFL Championship.

Early life

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Martinez was born on January 1, 2000 in Hanford, California.[2] He attended the Clovis West High School in Fresno, California. He played both football and basketball in high school. He missed his senior season of football due to a torn labrum he suffered while playing basketball.[3] As a junior, he was the Fresno Bee football player of the year after he passed for 2,562 yards with 25 touchdowns and rushed for 1,462 yards and 14 touchdowns.[4]

Martinez was regarded as a four-star prospect and was the seventh-highest-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2018 according to the 247Sports Composite.[5] Martinez originally committed to play college football at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Tennessee before ultimately deciding on the University of Nebraska.[6][7]

College career

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Nebraska

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2018

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First-year Nebraska head coach Scott Frost named Martinez the starting quarterback heading into the 2018 season opener, making him the first true freshman to ever begin a season as the starting quarterback at Nebraska.[8][9] In the Cornhuskers' opening game against Colorado, Martinez threw for 187 yards, one touchdown, and an interception, and added 117 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on the ground. Nebraska lost the game 33–28.[10] Martinez went down with a knee injury in the final minutes of the Colorado game, an injury that also caused him to miss the following game against Troy, which also ended in a loss for Nebraska. Martinez returned from injury but could not help the Cornhuskers return to winning form, as the team lost its first six games of the year for the worst start to a season in program history.[11] Martinez's first career win came against Minnesota, where he threw for 276 yards and three passing touchdowns, and ran for another touchdown on the ground in the 53–28 victory.[12] He was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week (with Rondale Moore) for the performance.[13] Martinez earned two more Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors following a loss to Ohio State on November 3 and a victory over Illinois on November 10.[14][15]

Martinez finished his freshman season with 2,617 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He added 629 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on the ground. He finished sixth in the Big Ten Conference in passing yards and total touchdowns, and was fourth in passer rating.[16]

2019

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Martinez received high expectations heading into his sophomore season in 2019, earning pre-season honors at Big Ten Media Days and even appearing in Heisman Trophy candidate discussions. However, he struggled mightily, leading Nebraska to a 5–7 record in a disappointing season.[17][18]

2020

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After a disappointing 2019 campaign and a Covid-19-impacted offseason, Martinez entered the 2020 season under pressure. In the opening game at Ohio State, Martinez went 12-15 for 105 yards passing, and 85 yards and a touchdown on the ground.[19] After a lackluster performance in the week two loss at Northwestern, head coach Scott Frost decided to start redshirt freshman Luke McCaffery in the upcoming game vs. Penn State. Martinez would return to the field just one game later in the 4th quarter of the Illinois game, after McCaffery threw his third interception of the contest.[20] Martinez would remain the starter for the rest of the season, where he showed improvement from his first two starts. The final game of the season at Rutgers was his best game, where he completed 24 of 28 passes for 255 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions. In that game he also had an additional 181 rushing yards, with 2 rushing touchdowns.[21]

In seven games, Martinez finished his abbreviated junior season with 1,055 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns, and three interceptions. He ran for 521 yards (5.7 AVG) and 7 rushing touchdowns.[22]

2021

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In 2021, Martinez played in 11 games for the Huskers, who went 3–9, becoming the first team in Division I college football history to lose 9 games by single digits. He completed 189 of 306 passes for 2,867 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.[23]

On December 2, 2021, Martinez entered the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining.[24]

On December 16, 2021, Martinez announced he would be transferring to Kansas State for his final year.[25]

Kansas State

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In the 2022 season, Martinez split time at the quarterback position with Will Howard.[26] Martinez had 148 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns against Oklahoma and 171 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns against Texas Tech during the season.[27][28] Overall, in the 2022 season, Martinez had 1,261 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and one interception to go with 111 carries for 627 rushing yards and ten rushing touchdowns.[29] The quarterback duo helped lead the Wildcats to a 10–4 record and a Big 12 Championship.[30][31]

Statistics

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Season Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Record Comp Att Pct Yards Avg TD Int Rate Att Yards Avg TD
Nebraska Cornhuskers
2018 11 11 4−7 224 347 64.6 2,617 7.5 17 8 139.5 140 629 4.5 8
2019 10 10 5−5 149 251 59.4 1,956 7.8 10 9 130.8 144 626 4.3 7
2020 7 6 2−4 108 151 71.5 1,055 7.0 4 3 135.0 91 521 5.7 7
2021 11 11 3−8 189 306 61.8 2,863 9.4 14 10 148.9 133 525 3.9 13
Kansas State Wildcats
2022 10 9 6−3 118 184 64.1 1,261 6.9 6 1 131.4 111 627 5.6 10
Career 49 47 20−27 788 1,193 63.6 9,752 7.9 51 31 138.3 619 2,928 4.7 45

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 1+7⁄8 in
(1.88 m) 		221 lb
(100 kg) 		31+1⁄4 in
(0.79 m) 		9+5⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.55 s 1.61 s 2.70 s 4.21 s 36.0 in
(0.91 m)		 9 ft 7 in
(2.92 m)
All values from Kansas State's Pro Day[32][33]

Detroit Lions

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Martinez was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023.[34] He was waived on August 29, 2023.[35]

Birmingham Stallions

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Martinez with the Birmingham Stallions in 2024

On December 24, 2023, Martinez was signed by the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL).[36] He was named to the 2024 All-UFL team on June 5, 2024 [37] and league MVP on June 10. [38] He was named the 2024 UFL Championship MVP on June 16, 2024.[39]

New York Jets

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On July 27, 2024, Martinez was signed by the New York Jets.[40] He was waived on August 27, and re-signed to the practice squad.[41][42]

UFL career statistics

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Legend
UFL MVP
UFL Championship Game MVP
Led the league
League champion
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team League Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2024 BHAM UFL 10 7 6–1 134 229 58.5 1,748 7.6 15 3 99.0 54 528 9.7 3
Career 10 7 6–1 134 229 58.5 1,748 7.6 15 3 99.0 54 528 9.7 3

Postseason

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Year Team League Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2024 BHAM UFL 2 2 2–0 23 42 54.7 262 6.2 2 1 79.5 15 60 4.0 2
Career 2 2 2–0 23 42 54.7 262 6.2 2 1 79.5 15 60 4.0 2

References

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  1. ^ "Adrian Martinez Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  2. ^ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2023 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 18. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  3. ^ Galaviz, Anthony (April 6, 2017). "Clovis West QB Adrian Martinez, a top recruit, undergoes surgery for basketball injury". The Fresno Bee. McClatchy. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  4. ^ Boogaard, Andy (January 28, 2017). "Catch him if you can: Bee Football Player of the Year Adrian Martinez". The Fresno Bee. McClatchy. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  5. ^ "Adrian Martinez, Clovis West, Dual-Threat Quarterback". 247Sports.com. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  6. ^ Giannandrea, Nick (November 21, 2016). "Clovis West's Adrian Martinez makes college call – Cal Bears". The Fresno Bee. McClatchy. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  7. ^ McKewon, Sam (December 13, 2017). "Adrian Martinez becomes Scott Frost's first quarterback recruit; Dual-threat QB will enroll early at Nebraska". Omaha World-Herald. Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  8. ^ Sherman, Mitch (August 26, 2018). "Cornhuskers tab true freshman Adrian Martinez as starting QB". ESPN. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  9. ^ Bland, Evan (August 27, 2018). "Adrian Martinez won Nebraska's quarterback battle, but winning games will mean more". Omaha World-Herald. Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "Montez's late TD pass ruins Frost debut, gives CU 33-28 win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 8, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  11. ^ "Nebraska sees 10-point lead slip away in OT loss to Northwestern". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 13, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  12. ^ "Huskers beat Minnesota 53-28 for 1st win under Scott Frost". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 20, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  13. ^ "Big Ten Players of the Week". BigTen.org. October 22, 2019. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  14. ^ "Big Ten Players of the Week". BigTen.org. November 5, 2019. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  15. ^ "Big Ten Players of the Week". BigTen.org. November 12, 2019. Archived from the original on November 12, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  16. ^ "2018 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  17. ^ "Big Ten Announces Football Preseason Honors". BigTen.org. July 18, 2019. Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  18. ^ Hellman, Sam (February 27, 2019). "Adrian Martinez has strong Heisman Trophy odds". 247Sports.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  19. ^ "Football vs Ohio State on 10/24/2020 - Box Score". University of Nebraska. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  20. ^ "Football vs Illinois on 11/21/2020 - Box Score". University of Nebraska. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  21. ^ "Football vs Rutgers on 12/18/2020 - Box Score". University of Nebraska. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  22. ^ "2020 Football Cumulative Statistics". University of Nebraska. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  23. ^ "Adrian Martinez College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  24. ^ Sallee, Barrett (December 2, 2021). "Nebraska starting QB Adrian Martinez enters the transfer portal, ending up-and-down career as Husker". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  25. ^ Pawloski, Ryan (December 16, 2021). "Adrian Martinez transferring to Kansas State". KLKN TV. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  26. ^ "2022 Kansas State Wildcats Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  27. ^ "Kansas State at Oklahoma Box Score, September 24, 2022". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  28. ^ "Texas Tech at Kansas State Box Score, October 1, 2022". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  29. ^ "Adrian Martinez 2022 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  30. ^ "2022 Kansas State Wildcats Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  31. ^ "Kansas State wins 2022 Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship". Big 12. Associated Press. December 3, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  32. ^ "Adrian Martinez Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  33. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Adrian Martinez College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  34. ^ "Lions sign three 2023 NFL Draft selections". DetroitLions.com. May 12, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  35. ^ "Lions announce roster moves". DetroitLions.com. August 29, 2023.
  36. ^ @USFLStallions (December 24, 2023). "Free Agent Signings" (Tweet). Retrieved December 24, 2023 – via Twitter.
  37. ^ "UFL Announces Inaugural All-UFL Team". www.theufl.com. June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  38. ^ "Birmingham Stallions Quarterback Adrian Martinez Named UFL Most Valuable Player". June 10, 2024.
  39. ^ "Birmingham vs San Antonio: Stallions Clinch Third Straight League Title with UFL Championship Victory Over Brahmas". UFL. June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  40. ^ Allen, Eric (July 27, 2024). "Jets Sign QB Adrian Martinez and CB Kendall Sheffield". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  41. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (August 27, 2024). "Final Cuts | Jets Move 37 to Get Their Roster to 53 Players". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  42. ^ "Jets Sign 17 Players to Practice Squad". NewYorkJets.com. August 28, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
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