T-Magic Magical ride for Nebraska's Martinez

[knapplc]

Magical ride for Nebraska's Martinez

 

No, Martinez couldn't rally his team Saturday in the Big Ten championship game after the Cornhuskers fell behind the Badgers, roughly, infinity to 10 at halftime.

 

But he did score on a 76-yard scramble that defied description. If you saw it in another remake of "The Longest Yard," you would dismiss it as implausible. Martinez juked half the population of Wisconsin before breaking free like a colt at the rodeo.

 

"Somehow he magically escaped," was how the Big Ten Network's Dave Revsine put it during a highlights show.

 

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Not a terribly in-depth article about Martinez, but a good one. One that makes all the personal critiques of Taylor seem pretty petty. On the field he's both magical and mystifying. Off the field, he takes way more grief than he deserves. Shy kids get hazed, I guess. Sucks when it's our own fans doing it to him, though.

 

 

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EDIT - apparently since I first read this article this AM they've changed it to subscription-only viewing. Sorry about that, folks. Here's a quick run-down of the article:

 

Taylor and his dad bonded after his dad had to divorce bio-mom. They hit rock-bottom as a family, and Taylor helped dad get through it. To this day Taylor and dad text inspiring messages to each other. Taylor plays chess, and is quite good at it, apparently.

[skersfan]

I am supposedly going to get to spend a day with him over the Holidays if he comes home. Still not a certainty. I am really looking forward to it. My friend who's Taylor's dads best friend from high school says we are going fishing. Not much of a fisherman, but I will be that day. I met him a couple of years ago, what a nice polite, shy, kid.

[KC Cowboy]

Have to have a subscription to see the link. No thanks.

[knapplc]

I've run into him several times, had a few brief conversations with him. I'd agree he's very nice and polite, and quite shy. Good kid, though, and I'm damned glad he's a Husker.

[knapplc]

Have to have a subscription to see the link. No thanks.

 

That's bizarre! I read the article a while ago and there was no subscription requirement. They must have changed it since then. I'll edit the OP with a short synopsis. Sorry about that!

[Hoosker]

The stats speak for themselves.

 

He just needs a couple things before he leaves:

-January bowl trophy

-Conference championship

-Individual accolade of some kind

 

Luckily, he has another year to accomplish those goals.

[skersfan]

I agree Knapplc, he is a great kid and have been happy he is a Husker since day one. He give 110% every play and I would imagine the same in practice. He keeps moving forward. The kind a kid you want your daughter to mary.

[Guy Chamberlin]

Sometimes I think Taylor's first few games in 2010 were a mirage.

 

But this year (and on that last run) you saw it again. A second-gear like I've never seen on a quarterback. Or maybe any other football player.

 

Hope he runs wild next year. I'll even take a few fumbles as part of the bargain.

[irafreak]

Count me in as a huge Taylor fan. At qb even. The kid makes things happen and you have to admire his dedication...hiring a trainer in the offseason to revamp his passing....

[Guy Chamberlin]

This was probably posted a couple years ago when it originally aired, but worth a reminder:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21mYRtUmc8k

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21mYRtUmc8k

[NUance]

Casey taught his son how to play chess, and by 12, Taylor was beating adults online. He reached the second-highest level, purple, on one chess website. "In a way, it's similar to football," Taylor said. "My dad has always told me to play a few games of speed chess to get my mind going before playing football." Casey also passed on some good football genes. A king in the weight room, he transferred to play safety at Iowa State but suffered a career-ending knee injury. "I was very aggressive," he said. "I'd rather knock somebody out than get the interception. Taylor would rather put up points."

 

But the two see eye to eye on almost everything else. When times were tough and they lived in the cramped house, Casey stuck a note on Taylor's door that read, "Dreams come true when you work hard and pray." "He will text that to me every once in a while," Casey said.

LINK

Here is the article from a different part of the same newspaper website, the Chicago Tribune. Doesn't require a subscription, oddly.

 

Great article. And that's a awesome quote from his dad: "Dreams come true when you work hard and pray." I'm going to give quote that to my kid when he's old enough.

[Goal-line]

Taylor Martinez gets an unnecessary bad rap in most circles. His style of play is not the usual polish of college QBs who come from the highly touted high school programs. However, he is an extremely gifted athlete who has overcome adversity and accomplished great deeds at the University of Nebraska. I shutter to think what his numbers would be if he had the offensive lines of the early to mid 1990's. Personally, I think he would have been equal to or better than Frazier, Frost and Crouch. The numbers won't lie. By the time he graduates, baring injury, he will have set the bar unreasonably high for future QBs who come to play football at NU. He has done his part on the team, the rest of the team needs to step up and do their part.

[Landlord]

For everyone harping on the nation-leading fumble statistic, this is my question...

 

 

How many times has Taylor cost us a game in the closing moments, when it was either succeed or fail and he failed? UCLA is the only game that comes to mind.

 

How many times has Taylor won us a game by making plays, when it was either succeed or fail? Ohio State, Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, at least.

[TonyStalloni]

Allow me to jump off topic for a second then hopefully bring it all back together. When I was a young man in college I met a young lady who caught my eye. She was pretty, fun to be with, a little bit flirty and attentive. I eventually fell in love, married her and we raised 3 good sons. She is a good mother, had a decent job for 38 years (recently retired). There was a stretch in our early marriage when I thought the grass might be greener on the other side. I started focusing on my perceived faults of her and wondering if I made the right choice. It took me a few years to realize, she is who she is, and I could go through life accepting her better qualities or ruining my marriage by focusing on her lesser qualities.

 

Thats how I see Taylor Martinez. A great person, a quiet kid doing his best to improve on his skills, not without a flaw or two but getting better and becoming a great Qb. His soph year he had multiple injuries he had to play through and suffered our rath when he didn't perform like we expected. We kept changing systems and offensive coordinators on him to make it more difficult. Count me as one who supports him to the fullest. I'll stand with him this year and next. He will be one of the great Husker Qb's in my opinion.

[HuskerNationNick]

Taylor has heart and is dedicated to be the best he can be, and there is no denying that. I have been a huge fan of him since his first game as a redshirt freshman. If he would have never been injured, he would have owned that rushing record here last year. If I were him, I would use my legs more next year than ever before, make a statement and end with a boom. I think he will be focusing more on ball security this spring/summer. This is vital and will help us stop having close games. Double digit wins, comfortable wins. Something us fans are use to lol. Leading fumbler or not, he is the best option and a standout athlete. He has won many more games than he has costed us. I am glad he is a Husker. I can't remember anyone else who has gone through the adversity and still persevered like he has.

 

As my signature says, and has said since I have joined here, Team Martinez.