Michigan State DB Nikai Martinez Reflects on Season Opener, Looks Ahead to Maryland

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Sep 4, 2024 6:09 PM ET

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State's defense made a strong first impression in Friday's season-opening win over Florida Atlantic.

The Spartans forced two interceptions, including one by transfer defensive back Nikai Martinez early in the second quarter. He finished the game with six tackles, the second-most of any Spartan.

Martinez joined Michigan State this offseason after spending two seasons at UCF.

Martinez addressed the media on Wednesday, discussing his decision to come to Michigan State, the season opener and the Spartans' next game against Maryland.

You can watch his presser below:

Below is a partial transcript from the presser:

Q: What's your reaction to Game 1?

Martinez: "It was a great atmosphere. I just kept catching myself looking around like, 'Dang, I'm actually here.' Crowd was good, and environment. And my team, I feel like we had a good performance. But we got things to improve on."

Q: What brought you to Michigan State?

Martinez: "The portal was more like a business decision. Like where I felt was going to help me be able to showcase talents and get me to that next level, of course, the NFL. And I felt like when I came here on my visits, the coaches were 100% real with me, and they were telling me, 'This is what you're going to do, and we've got the plan.' They were showing me videos and clips of what I was going to be at, and it was an open position for me to compete. And I felt like when I came here, i just had that feeling that, 'Yeah, this is where I need to be."

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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