Adrian Martinez and the Detroit Lions are in the midst of making their final preparations for the team’s preseason finale Friday, a road tilt with the Carolina Panthers.
For the rookie signal-caller, it’s one last opportunity for him to prove his worth in a live game setting before the start of the regular season.
An undrafted free agent out of Kansas State, Martinez has spent his first NFL training camp sharing reps under center with fellow passers Jared Goff, Nate Sudfeld and most recently, Teddy Bridgewater.
He’s experienced an up-and-down preseason, going from leading the Lions on their game-winning drive against the Giants in the exhibition opener, to not receiving a single snap a week ago vs. the Jaguars.
All along the way, though, Martinez has kept a positive attitude, and has done his best to soak up as much knowledge as possible from Detroit’s veteran-laden quarterbacks room.
“It’s been a blessing to be here,” the first-year quarterback expressed to All Lions Wednesday after practice. “I’m very grateful for this opportunity, being able to learn from Jared (Goff), (Lions quarterbacks) Coach ‘Bru’ (Mark Brunell) and (Lions assistant quarterbacks coach) J.T. (Barrett). I mean, you look at our quarterback room, there’s a lot of experience there. So, I feel fortunate that I’m here, and it’s been really exciting and rewarding.”
Martinez, a California native, has thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Goff. While Martinez was growing up in Fresno, Calif., he kept a close eye on Goff’s collegiate career at the University of California. Goff starred at California for three seasons, before being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft.
Now, whether it’s watching film or training alongside Goff, Martinez gets to “rub elbows” with the veteran passer on a daily basis.
The 23-year-old Martinez, via the tutelage of his quarterbacks coaches and the other signal-callers in Detroit’s quarterbacks room, namely Goff and Bridgewater, feels like he’s progressed over the last month of camp.
“I feel like I’m the best version of myself right now, truly the best football player I’ve been,” Martinez said. “So, I think that’s a credit to the staff, and like I said, those guys, and really absorbing what they’ve taught me. So, yeah, I would say I’ve done well. And obviously, mistakes are made, and that’s part of it. But, learning from them is key, and I feel like I’ve done that very well.”
Martinez understands that he is firmly on the roster bubble going into the Lions’ exhibition contest with the Panthers Friday. And, there is also no guarantee that Detroit will carry him on its practice squad to open the season.
Despite all of that, though, the former Nebraska passer is approaching the exhibition finale with a seemingly relaxed mindset.
“I’m going to control the controllables, go out there and operate, have it be a smooth operation and go get completions,” Martinez said of his mindset, heading into Friday.
Big Ten expansion
Before finishing his collegiate career at Kansas State, Martinez lined up under center for Nebraska, a member of the Big Ten conference, for four seasons.
In 39 total games with the Cornhuskers, he racked up 8,495 yards and 45 touchdowns through the air, plus an additional 2,288 yards and 35 scores on the ground. Collectively, he amassed a Nebraska-record 10,792 yards.
Starting next year, the Big Ten will look drastically different. It will feature 18 teams, spanning 15 states from New Jersey to Washington, after poaching Pac-12 powers USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington over the last year.
Martinez, for one, is looking forward to the conference realignment.
“Well, I’m biased, but I really think the Big Ten is the best conference there is, for multiple reasons,” the ex-Cornhuskers passer said. “I think the rivalries are great. I think the atmospheres are great, the teams are great. So, it’ll be interesting. You know, I’m from California. So, I wonder how USC and UCLA are going to handle that 11 a.m. kickoff in West Lafayette (Ind.). It’s going to be interesting.
“I think any time, I mean, the game’s always going to evolve, and I think teams and fans are going to have a lot of fun with this realignment. I think there’s a lot of negative talk out there about it. But, you know, we’ll have fun with it, guys will love it and it’s still football, at the end of the day.”
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