Martinez Legacy

[ColoradoHusk]

Taylor's last game as a Husker will go down as a microcosm of his career. In that Minnesota game, he started out throwing the ball well, and Beck became enthralled with the idea of beating Minnesota with the pass game. For whatever reason, the offense stalled in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Was it all Taylor's fault? No, but he didn't play well. Then when NU was down and against their back, Taylor had a big gain on a designed run, and NU was able to score. But, in the last big drive of the game, Taylor and the offense came up short. Taylor showed glimpses of brilliance in that Minnesota game, but the team lost. Yes, the defense deserved plenty of blame for that loss. But, watching in the stands, the offense was driving me nuts with its inconsistency in terms of play-calling and performance.

[TGHusker]

So where would your rank TM in your list of NU QB? Here is my list:

 

1. Frazier - we all know why

2. Gill - conf championships and leading a dynamic offense for 3 years - barely missed 3 NC - a tipped pass, a yard out of bounds,

3. Tagge 2 NC

4. Crouch 1 Conf Champ, BCS win, Heisman

5. Frost 1 NC, Conf Championship

6. TM all kinds yardage records, 4 year starter, no hardware His run against Wisc in the CCG will ranks up there as one of the all time greats

7. Steve Taylor - outside of the OU magic :spooners those years, S Taylor could have been higher on my list.

[skersfan]

A damned good kid, that gave everything he had for this program. Always a class act. He had the same problem as Lord, a very poor coaching plan for his use. He learned to play hurt his Freshman year because we did not have a capable back up. Some would say they were never given the chance, but Taylor toiled in the situation, gave 100% every single game, when most likely any other player on the team would have begged to set on the side lines. The pain this kid endured due to poor game planning, poor Olines and idiotic play calling, and overcoming most of the time puts him as one of the all time best for me. He is what a Husker should be!!

[In the Deed the Glory]

His abilities flat out won us three games as a freshmen (Washington, Kansas State, Oklahoma State) and one last year (Michigan State) where he was nearly the only offense we needed or could muster. He led legendary come from behind victories against Ohio State (2011), Wisconsin (2012), Northwestern (2012), and Michigan State (2012).

 

He will be remembered by me as someone who held this program together when it seemed to want to split apart at the seams. Last year could have been an implosion of epic proportions, but his ON FIELD leadership didn't let it happen. Forget the statistical records, he flat out gave everything he had every game. Sometimes it wasn't good enough, but he never ended a game without leaving everything he had out on that field. I appreciate, and to some extent admire him for, that.

 

Thank you Taylor Martinez, may you find success in life equal to your dedication to this historic program all of us hold so dear.

[307husker]

 

What I will say about T-Mart is that he seemed destined for injury, especially his ankles. His legs always looked fragile to me.

 

You can't get Quarter horse speed with Clydesdale parts... He is built to fly, and he certainly did.

[QMany]

I was at the coming out party in Manhattan. It was one of the greatest athletic feats I've ever seen live.

[knapplc]

I'll remember Taylor as a flawed quarterback who gave his all to the program, more than many players through the last 30-40 years. The sad, unfortunate truth was that, no matter how much polish they tried to put on him, he remained coal and not a diamond. Which is a bit surprising, considering all the heat and pressure he faced throughout his career.

 

 

The guy gave up Spring Break and his time off during the summer in both 2012 and 2013 to try to make himself into a quarterback. I can't recall hearing about any other player, ever, who gave up that much of his free time to try and improve himself for this team.

 

I'll remember him as a fumble machine, most luckily recovered by our team but WAY too many going to the opponent. I'll remember some truly awful "threw it right to him!!!" interceptions, plus a few really bizarre fluke INTs that flew from the hands of the WR into the DB's hand, resulting in TDs.

 

I'll remember him for having about as much elite speed as he had injuries. He never met the promise we saw in him, partly because he was a flawed experiment at quarterback from the beginning and partly because of the injuries.

 

I'll remember him for gutting out those injuries, putting winning and the team ahead of his own safety. I hope he doesn't suffer life-long consequences for playing injured like he has, but I'm afraid he might. And that's a shame.

 

I'll remember his blazing speed and the TD on the very first play from scrimmage, but I'll never forget the awkward way he went into contact the last few years, and cringing at some of the hits he took - many unnecessary, and very ugly.

 

 

I'll remember the vitriol and hatred heaped on him. I'll remember the choosing of sides, the character assassination, the insinuations and the accusations by fans who, despite the fact the guy gave his everything to the program, would never forgive him for being shy and awkward and imperfect, both on the field and in front of the microphone. I'll remember the flaws of many players - even entire sides of the ball - during his career being barely mentioned while conversation after conversation sprung up like mushrooms about the flaws of the team and how Taylor was somehow, often inexplicably, responsible.

 

I'll remember him (hopefully, oddly) as the quarterback who played with deeply flawed defenses, defenses lacking playmakers and football acumen, in an era bracketed by very good defenses. His timing was off more than anything - put him on that 2009 team and we win the Big XII Championship, give him that 2009 defense in 2010 and we win it again. Give him the defense I suspect we'll have the next couple of years and he wins again. But with the defenses he had, it just wasn't possible. No man can lift a mountain alone - although he tried, often to his own detriment.

 

I'll remember him as a guy walking out the door with umpteen-dozen all-time records, some deeply impressive, despite playing a position for which he wasn't a natural. And I'll remember that, like another Husker great in Rex Burkhead, we were cheated of his Senior year to see if he could improve even more on some already impressive feats.

 

 

The Taylor Martinez Legacy will forever be a mixed bag of greatness and grief. Both supporters and detractors have plenty of grist for their respective mills, and my guess is he'll be a hotly-debated quarterback for at least the next ten years.

 

Martinez will, for better or worse, not be quickly forgotten.

[QMany]

Much better this time around, Knapp! Well done, sir.

[sd'sker]

this is turning into an eulogy.

[In the Deed the Glory]

this is turning into an eulogy.

 

Haha. In someway, I suppose that eulogy is appropriate.

[Guy Chamberlin]

I think everybody is right about Taylor Martinez. Every accolade and every criticism is valid. But it's easy to forget a few things.

 

Freshman Taylor Martinez was not declared the starter until kickoff of the first game of the 2010 season. He took the reigns fearlessly and for half the season was the most exciting player in football. Big victories and eye-popping stats at tough opposing stadiums Washington and K-State. When challenged to pass, he threw for over 300 yards and 5 touchdowns against a ranked Oklahoma State. In the big teamwide letdown against Texas, Taylor had several perfectly thrown balls dropped, three of them sure touchdowns. That was also the game where it appeared the Blackshirts might not be up to previous standards.

 

Then Martinez got injured. Then he was asked to play injured. And also told not to get hurt any worse. Which happened anyway. The ankle may have been the problem, but I think it screwed with his brain more.

 

Sherman seems to forget Martinez's sophomore year. Expectations had been dialed down. Martinez was nowhere near full speed. He was asked to embrace the role of game manager, not game breaker, and did a fairly good job of both. The team considered it leadership, especially in leading the biggest comeback in Husker history against Ohio State. Meanwhile, the defense continued its mysterious freefall. Our offensive line was weak and our receivers were among the least reliable in recent Husker memory. Good teams were able to stop our running game. This was the beginning of the Husker offense having to play catch-up. It wasn't a good look. A rattled Martinez becomes notorious for turnovers. It has to be part of his legacy.

 

Junior year and Martinez has a lot of his speed back. The 90 yard touchdown is back. Unfortunately, so are the turnovers. But Martinez and his coaches sets their sites on passing and the pundits were all talking about how Martinez has corrected his mechanics and become a much better passer. This isn't necessarily true. Go back to his freshman year and Martinez had some beautiful touch passes, long bombs, difficult crossing patterns and great decisions. His percentage was up in 2012 because the offensive line was better and his unreliable receivers had graduated. The pass-happy Martinez still managed to rush for over a thousand yards, a 5.2 average and 10 TDs. There is also that memorable string of games where Martinez manages to dig his own hole, then double down and dig the team out of it. That's probably your Taylor Martinez legacy in a nutshell.

 

And that crazy string led Nebraska right back to relevance, playing for a Rose Bowl berth and Top 10 ranking in the CCG. In his best play ever -- and one of the best in NCAA history -- Taylor brings the Huskers back to 7 -14 against Wisconsin in the CCG, and the next drive whittles it down to 10 -14. He has rebounded from his own nightmarish start and gotten the offense settled. Only to find that our defense is utterly helpless, a nightmare of its own And that's part of the Martinez legacy, too. I don't think any quarterback gets a lot of signature victories when his defense is that inept. The defensive decline coincides with Taylor Martinez's career. Probably should take that into account.

 

Taylor does have a problem with pocket awareness. He's so late to recognize a collapsing pocket that I honestlly think he might have poor peripheral vision. And ever since he was injured, the coaches instructed him not to get hurt any worse. And I think that's what really hampered Taylor Martinez. He stopped being the fearless freshman. The moment he hit open field, he started thinking about how he should go down, creating that awkward standing-up-while-getting-tackled look. His instincts and injuries were not a good match.

 

Martinez would have been better if he hadn't been injured. He would have been better with a vintage Nebraska offensive line. He would have won more games with a vintage Nebraska defense.

 

But as he was, he created a lot of excitement and broke a lot of records on teams with a lot of problems.

 

Maybe we'll appreciate him more in hindsight.

[Ulty]

I'll remember Taylor as a flawed quarterback

 

I'll remember him as a fumble machine,

 

I'll remember him for having about as much elite speed as he had injuries.

 

I'll remember him for gutting out those injuries,

 

I'll remember his blazing speed

 

I'll remember the vitriol and hatred heaped on him.

 

I'll remember him (hopefully, oddly) as the quarterback who played with deeply flawed defenses,

 

I'll remember him as a guy walking out the door with umpteen-dozen all-time records,

[JoeHuskers!]

Like Burkhead, Martinez' senior year will be a year of what if... and that's a shame.... I'll always miss Taylor as I do Rex

[QMany]

Man, we have really been hit hard by injuries to some of our best Seniors in the last few years.

 

Crick, Dennard, Rex, Baker, Taylor ...

[knapplc]

Seems like Guy and I were writing just about the same thing at just about the same time. Kismet!