Tmart adjusting to fame

[n.e.husker]

On occasion, when the roommate is in a rambunctious mood, he will have some fun with his friend's newfound fame.

 

They'll be at the mall or walking down an aisle of some store, and Eric Martin will point at his buddy and shout: "Hey, everyone! It's Taylor Martinez!"

 

People will scurry as though someone has just pointed out one of the Beatles.

 

"They will just run up and start taking pictures," Martin said.

 

This takes some getting used to, of course.

 

Just six weeks ago, Martinez could go to the grocery store in peace.

 

Even after Martinez started the season opener at quarterback, Martin said people just knew his name and didn't really know what he looked like.

 

"But then after the Washington game," Martin said, "people started really recognizing him."

 

That's when it got crazy. Pictures, autographs, strangers offering messages of encouragement.

 

"Great game, Taylor."

 

"Get 'em Saturday, Taylor."

 

Awkward for Martinez? A little.

 

"He doesn't really like having all the fame and stuff," said Martin, a sophomore linebacker.

 

But fame is just part of the gig when you're Nebraska's starting quarterback, a job title that instantly makes you one of the Top 5 most-recognizable names in the state.

 

It's impossible to ignore all the attention, especially this week -- Texas week -- after a game where you just rushed for 241 yards and four touchdowns on national television.

 

It was the kind of game that could really make a young guy's head swell.

 

But when the Huskers got back to work after the Kansas State game, senior wide receiver Niles Paul said it was the same old Taylor in the huddle at practices.

 

Thursday's success hadn't changed the quarterback, and Paul doesn't think he'll ever change.

 

"I tried to tell y'all," Paul said. "I tried to tell y'all he doesn't show any emotion. You all thought the South Dakota State game got to him? It didn't. Because Taylor's going to go out there and he's going to play his game regardless of what people think or what people say."

 

Whether Martinez has just run for an 80-yard touchdown or thrown an interception, junior wide receiver Brandon Kinnie said he's never seen the redshirt freshman show excitement.

 

And teammates don't expect that to change just because Texas is coming to town.

 

"We call him weird all the time," Kinnie said. "But we just never see him get too excited ever. He just walks around before the game with headphones in, talking, acting silly sometimes. But excited? Never, ever."

 

No, Martinez isn't the rah-rah guy that some quarterbacks have been, including former Husker fan favorite Joe Ganz.

 

But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Calmness can be a positive influence on a huddle, too.

 

"Because he's the one that's going to have the ball in his hands every play," Kinnie said. "So for him to look poised and look us in the eyes, and say, 'Look, this is the play, let's go out and run it,' it's perfect."

 

Granted, Martinez can be a little fast in describing those plays.

 

Teammates say he talks as fast in the huddles as he runs away from defensive backs.

 

He talks so fast that sometimes players have trouble understanding the play calls.

 

"Coach (Ted) Gilmore always tells us to look him in his mouth," Kinnie said. "Because we'll be looking down and we'll hear him and we'll say, 'What did you just say, Taylor?' But that's just him."

 

A different dude, is how offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has described him.

 

And he says that with the utmost affection.

 

"The bigger the lights, the more he is ready," Watson said.

 

The coach said Martinez has "major blinders on" when it comes to the hype.

 

Some have wondered if Martinez might try to do too much on Saturday in such a big game. But Watson thinks the quarterback learned a valuable lesson against South Dakota State, when he turned the ball over three times and was benched in the fourth quarter.

 

The day after the game, Martinez approached Watson and said: I'll fix it.

 

Sure enough, Martinez didn't make the same mistakes against Kansas State.

 

"You can talk until you're blue in the face as a coach," Watson said. "Until a player experiences what you're talking about they really don't grasp the reality of it. Once they experience it and understand how that impacts the team, then it becomes a conviction."

 

It's been an amazing rise for Martinez, who already has rushed for 737 yards and 12 touchdowns.

 

On the scout team just a year ago, this week he had Texas coach Mack Brown calling him "a guy that scares you to death."

 

And while defensive coordinators are staying up late racking their brains on how to stop him, there's a good chance Martinez is back at his pad playing video games against Martin.

 

Martinez may be few on words in postgame interviews, but it's those moments around the Xbox where Martin knows how to get him talking.

 

"I talk a lot of mess to him," Martin said.

 

Soon, Martin's video game trash-talking brings out the competitive fire in Martinez.

 

Apparently the only time the quarterback isn't the picture of calm is when he's playing "Halo."

 

http://huskerextra.com/sports/football/article_8d978776-d675-11df-87a2-001cc4c03286.html

[Husker_x]

This isn't a 1:1 comparison, but I remember in the twilight of the Callahan experiment when things were looking pretty bleak, Osborne stepped in and––speaking for myself, anyway––his stoicism was very reassuring. Looks like Taylor has a similar kind of effect. If your field general is calm and collected, your team is calm and collected. People all offseason were saying that Taylor was like Bo, and that was one reason he's the starter instead of Lee. I'm not sure that's true. He reminds me more of Osborne––a bizarre, almost awkward, younger Osborne. He is a different cat, that's for sure.

[kansas husker]

as long as he is averaging over two touchdowns a game, he can do whatever he wants with the fame.

[irieboy8]

gosh i hope everyone is ready for this game.......

[huskerjack23]

This isn't a 1:1 comparison, but I remember in the twilight of the Callahan experiment when things were looking pretty bleak, Osborne stepped in and––speaking for myself, anyway––his stoicism was very reassuring. Looks like Taylor has a similar kind of effect. If your field general is calm and collected, your team is calm and collected. People all offseason were saying that Taylor was like Bo, and that was one reason he's the starter instead of Lee. I'm not sure that's true. He reminds me more of Osborne––a bizarre, almost awkward, younger Osborne. He is a different cat, that's for sure.

Oh thank you so much for using that analogy. I was trying to think of somebody that T-Magic reminded me of, and Husker_x comes through, as if there were anybody else that could.

 

A shy even keeled kid with all-world athletic ability. It's a sight to behold for sure.

[NUance]

Stoic. Rah-rah. Either way can work. What’s important is that Martinez learns to be a leader. Take control and run the offense. Tommie was a leader.

[Guy Chamberlin]

I'm thinking more Clint Eastwood than Tom Osborne.

[HuskerInLostWages]

I'm thinking more Clint Eastwood than Tom Osborne.

 

You gonna run that play....PUNK

 

 

Well are ya?

 

Yep i'll give Taylor a little Clint Eastwood type of grit.