James Burns: Martin's football future in doubt; interested in Navy

LOS BANOS -- On a nondescript midweek afternoon, football coach put football star through a series of grueling tests.

Basketball toss.

Situps.

Pushups.

Shuttle run.

Mile run.

All exercises were performed at full bore. All exercises were documented, scribbled in chicken scratch and eventually shipped off to a university in Maryland.

The numbers and times, coupled with his transcripts and body of work, will be used to determine whether this recruit gains acceptance into one of the nation's top universities.

"He's got a good shot," his football coach says proudly.

He certainly does -- only this isn't a typical recruiting story. At least not in the spirit of the NCAA and football.

Erik Martin is the football star -- the dual-threat quarterback who willed Los Banos into the semifinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs this past fall.

His coach: Dennis Stubbs; and university of choice: the Naval Academy in Annapolis.

Not to play.

To serve.

"I'm applying," Martin said without hesitation, without pause. "I've always had the thought. I have grandparents who served. I think it would be a great opportunity to go there. I went to seminars, learned about it and liked it."

Which leaves a future once pinned to football clouded in uncertainty.

Today is National Signing Day, the first official day high school athletes can commit to universities by signing a letter of intent.

Across the country, and here in Merced County, counseling offices and gymnasiums will become the backdrops to press conferences.

Microphones and pens will be shoved in front of the country's top talent. Family and friends will look on proudly. Some smiling. Some crying. Some snapping picures.

And college coaches, of all sports, will wait anxiously by phone and fax, coveting the commitments that slide through their offices.

It promises to be a day of movement -- except in Los Banos, where the waiting game will continue for one of the area's top football players and sharpest minds.

"I never really marked this day on my calendar," Martin said.

Martin was at the controls of one of the fall's best stories. Los Banos clinched its first and only Central California Conference title and then shocked Modesto and top-seeded Tracy in the playoffs.

He passed for 1,674 yards and amassed 25 total touchdowns, despite missing nearly three games with a concussion.

And while the season rolled along, the story of his recruitment served as a sidecar.

Division I-AA Sacramento State watched his final practice and actively courted the 6-foot-1 gunslinger.

The University of San Diego (Div. I) was consistent with its contact, the University of Arizona flirted briefly and the Ivy League always seemed a possibility.

"He has options. Right now we're going to wait and see what happens," Stubbs said. "It's a game within a game, this recruiting process.

"It all depends on what they project that player can do. It's tough. When you look back over the years, not a lot of guys have signed within our local area. For football, it's almost a rarity.

"You know, maybe him being 6-foot-1 has a little to do with it, but the guy competes. He's a gamer and a straight-A student."

Underlined, with an exclamation point.

Martin is an academic qualifier and a 4.0 student, which means his collegiate prospects aren't necessarily tied to football.

But, he admits, throwing the leather on Saturdays was always part of the master plan.

"It's a hard thought -- me not playing football anymore," Martin said. "I've played for so many years. To think that I might not play bugs me a little bit. But things happen. We'll see what happens."

Once the frenzy of Signing Day subsides, Martin can still land an athletic scholarship or invitation to walk on.

Sacramento State could still make an offer. A new suitor could emerge. Or Martin could take the long route, improving his stock for a year or two at a junior college -- both Merced College and Modesto have expressed interest.

Then there's this potential opportunity to suit up for his country. In dress blues, not shoulder pads and helmet.

He talks confidently about both opportunities -- to play football or to serve his country -- and appears comfortable with either reality.

"I love to play football. If that doesn't happen, I know I've got my grades. I can get into a college and still have a future," Martin said. "I love football, but if it doesn't happen...

"It doesn't happen."

And so for this book-smart football talent, the process continues.

But one thing is certain: it'll be worth the wait.

James Burns is sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.