By: D. Scott Fritchen
Former Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez proved electric this UFL season in guiding the Birmingham Stallions to the league championship while earning game MVP to go along with season MVP honors. Martinez, who threw for more than 1,200 yards and rushed for more than 600 yards during his lone season at K-State in 2022, showed that he was more than capable at the professional football level, and he aspires to join an NFL team for the 2024 season.
Martinez finished his college career playing in 49 games with 47 starts over his five-year career between Nebraska and K-State. He ended his career ranked third nationally among active players and second among quarterbacks with 45 rushing touchdown and fifth with 12,680 offensive yards.
This past season, he led the UFL with 528 rushing yards through the regular season and ranked No. 3 with 1,749 passing yards, second with 15 touchdown passes, and second with 2,277 offensive yards.
Martinez set the UFL single-game record with four touchdown passes against Memphis, and he was responsible for a UFL single-game record five touchdowns against Houston. He was the only UFL quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards twice during the regular season, putting up a UFL-best 369 yards at Memphis after throwing for 334 yards against the Showboats.
His 138-yard rushing performance against Houston marked the second-best effort during the regular season and was one of only seven 100-yard rushing performances of the entire regular season.
Martinez spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about his success, his favorite college football memories, what he's learned along the way, and his future plans in this Q&A.
D. Scott Fritchen: Who is Adrian Martinez?
Adrian Martinez: More than a football player. I have a great family, obviously grew up in California, made my way to the Midwest, and if you asked the same question to 20 people I've been around, I think you'd get the same answer. I try to be the same guy every day, I try to be genuine and let people get to know me, and get to know other people, and just have fun and be in the moment. That's all I try to do. I don't try to look beyond that.
Fritchen: You talk about being in the moment. You're in the moment standing with the MVP trophy and Tom Brady is there beside you. What's running through your head at that moment?
Martinez: It's a dream come true being able to meet one of my idols, who many call the GOAT, and who I'd call the GOAT, the greatest of all-time. It was a very special moment. My family and fiancée and her family were all waiting outside the ropes for me, and my little 10-year-old brother got to see me have this moment, all of that kind of ran through my mind, so it meant a lot. It meant a lot to have that, and to have that success, and to share it with Tom Brady was pretty cool.
Fritchen: You won league MVP and then won title game MVP and won the championship game. How gratifying or special was the past season?
Martinez: Very special. A lot went into that. A lot went into ending up in the UFL to playing for Skip Holtz and the Birmingham Stallions and even winning the starting job, you know, I was splitting time at the beginning of the year with Matt Corral, and eventually won the job, and I was in the mindset of truly week-to-week and really just trying to focus and do my job to the best of my abilities. When that honor came, it was really cool to be rewarded for a season-long effort. I hadn't really allowed myself to look at it until that point. To get that reward, it was a little blessing for a lot of hard work. Definitely grateful for it.
Fritchen: What do you feel like you showed the nation?
Martinez: Really, it wasn't about proving anything to the nation or fans, or anything like that. What I really wanted to prove is that I'm an NFL quarterback and can play at an NFL level, and that I deserve another opportunity. I can only control what I can, and that's what I set out to prove, and I feel like I was able to do that with the season I had.
Fritchen: What does your offseason look like?
Martinez: Right now, it's just training. I took a week off and I'm getting back into strength training and throwing the way I want to, but I did just come off a 12-week season, so it's not like I'm rusty. It's just making sure I'm primed so when the call does come, hopefully in July, I can join an NFL team, get to training camp, and go try and prove it again, that I belong on a team.
Fritchen: You had a winding road from Nebraska to K-State to Detroit to Birmingham. To start out, what will you remember most about your time at Nebraska?
Martinez: I'll remember just the overall support and community that is Nebraska and how great it was to play for a school like that. Full stadium, the atmosphere, it was everything I could ask for. When I think back on that time, even know, I feel embraced, and that feels special. For me, I feel like I accomplished a goal of mine to play big-time college football and perspective is always important. I look back on it now and will 20 years from now with gratitude. I broke some records, was captain, and did a lot of the things that I wanted to do.
Fritchen: What will you remember most about your time at K-State?
Martinez: That it was a second chance for me. I learned a lot about myself, I learned about football, and really that it was a second chance, and I was able to have an incredibly successful season, and then on top of it we were able to win the Big 12 Championship and go to the Sugar Bowl. I got to spend New Year's in New Orleans with my dad. Stuff like that I'll remember for the rest of my life.
Fritchen: Did you ever think that your bow against Oklahoma would be so iconic?
Martinez: Definitely not in the moment. What was funny about it is it helped show the type of season we were able to have as a team after that moment. That game was so pivotal to us and our season that I think it took on a little bit bigger meaning. That's one, that's probably my favorite football moment up there with the latest accomplishment with Birmingham in my career. That photo, I'll definitely find a future home for us in our house. It might have to go in the man cave, but there will be a place for it.
Fritchen: What's a favorite story from that Oklahoma game that most people don't know?
Martinez: What went into the 3rd and 16 scramble. Coach Clint Brown, he had been working with us all season as an offensive advisor, and he'd mainly been a defensive guy up until that point. But that gave him great insight into what defenses were trying to do. So, we definitely utilized him during the season and especially in games because Coach Collin Klein was in the booth, so on the sideline, they had this ongoing discussion about what Oklahoma was trying to do and some key indicators. One of the indicators was that No. 23 decided to play middle-high safety they were usually in some type of man coverage. So going into that play, No. 23 was playing high safety, so that was the key indicator, knowing they were in man – actually two-man – and one of the weaknesses of two man is the quarterback scramble. Obviously, if something popped, I was going to deliver the ball, and if not, I was going to find a way to take it for a first down. It worked into something great. You know, that's kind of football. You continue to have those dialogs on the sideline and continue to make adjustments and continue to play the game and then let yourself react. I think it went to show how special the coaching staff was with their ability to stay locked in and find those little edges in victory.
Fritchen: Which brings me to my next question. How would you describe Coach Chris Klieman?
Martinez: I've said it before and I'll continue to say it, that Coach Klieman is one of the best coaches in college football. He understands how to build a team. What I respect most about him is how transparent he is and how level-headed he is. No matter the situation, you can go to Coach Klieman and expect nothing but the best. He's going to shoot you straight and he's going to do what's best for the team at all times. I just have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I think K-State is very fortunate to have him. He's a great man and a great coach.
Fritchen: Collin Klein is gone, obviously, and Conor Riley steps in as offensive coordinator. What do you think about Conor and what he brings to the table?
Martinez: I think he brings juice. He has a great energy about him. Coach Riley is transparent. I think his style is a little bit different in terms of Coach Klieman transparency and Coach Riley transparency — Coach Riley might cuss you, but he's going to love you up right after that. When you talk to any offensive lineman who's been coached by Coach Riley – I played with a guy on the Stallions who was under Coach Riley at North Dakota State, and he had nothing but great things to say about him, and he loves him. He said Coach Riley texted him three years after he played with him, asking him how he was doing. That's not common. Stuff like that isn't common and it goes a long way in how hard guys will play for you. I think Coach Riley will be a hard-nosed offensive coordinator, and I have a lot of confidence in him and I'm excited to see what they'll do with him at the helm.
Fritchen: Next question, of course, is what do you think of Avery Johnson?
Martinez: Avery is a stud. Avery has all the talent in the world, and I think he'll do great things for K-State. He has an incredible opportunity ahead of him. The program is primed to do great things with the expansion of the College Football Playoff. That's what everybody has their sights on, and it's very possible with Avery and Coach Klieman and Coach Riley and the guys they keep bringing in there. Obviously, I'll be rooting from the sidelines.
Fritchen: So, we talked about Nebraska and K-State — what did you learn most during your time with the Detroit Lions?
Martinez: I'd say professionalism is a big one and also I got an opportunity to be coached by Mark Brunell, the longtime NFL quarterback, and the assistant quarterback coach was JT Barrett, the Ohio State legend who played four or five years in the NFL. Then Jared Goff was their starter. So, there were a lot of guys with starting NFL experience. What was exciting was when we turned on the tape, it wasn't a nit-picking session where they tear you apart, or you should've done this and that — they had a real understanding of what it was like to play the position, but also held a very high standard. They had high expectations. I was able to truly see what's possible and how I could approach this play or approach these checks or utilize cadence. It made me a much better quarterback and gave me a much better understanding of the position, just being around all those guys.
Fritchen: How do you feel like K-State aided in your transition to a pro?
Martinez: I'd say the offensive system we ran, and I really think the way that Coach Klieman dissects defenses just adds to the football IQ. I was able to say I went to the NFL with a high level of knowledge, and I'd attribute that to being able to play a lot in college, but to Coach Klieman and his ability to take the time out of his day throughout the week and just teach me more about ball, more about defensive scheme and defensive alignments, and linebacker depths and safeties. Just all the little details, he did a great job with us as quarterbacks, and it definitely helped me.
Fritchen: What do you enjoy most about the UFL?
Martinez: We called it "professional juco." It's kind of a bounce-back league. There are first-round draft picks and there are guys who were undrafted free agents. That contrast made it really fun, and we all had experience in the NFL in some way. We all wanted to get back to the NFL. So having that shared goal and shared experience has made it a lot of fun. We were all there for a reason. Hey, some guys knew they were finishing their career there, and some guys wanted to use it as a steppingstone to get back to the league. I think there's a lot of just genuine fun being had playing the game.
Fritchen: Is your plan next year to win another MVP trophy in the UFL or go to the NFL?
Martinez: I'd say this year, I really wanted to prove that I could be an NFL quarterback, and those awards and different types of things will come with good play. For this next year, the goal is to get to the NFL. So, we'll see where this journey takes me. I'm not sure if that's an opportunity in the NFL this upcoming camp or if it's not, but it's probably too soon to tell what that next goal will be beyond that.
Fritchen: What have you learned most about yourself during your journey?
Martinez: The relationships you build stick with you. You don't remember the wins and losses nearly as much as you do the little moments in between — the winter conditioning, the summer workouts when you're running in the heat on the turf, the team activities like going to the bowling alley, the Saturday nights after a big win. Little things like are really what you hold dear. Right now, I'm headed to a teammate's wedding. It's what makes it truly special.
