Hopatcong's Martinek is New Jersey's all-time leading rusher
The numbers are in the record books. The crowds have gone indoors. The shoulder pads are packed away. So what's next for Hopatcong's Joe Martinek, the 2006 Daily Record Football Player of the Year? Well, the senior will be wearing a lot of scarlet over the next four years. Martinek committed to Rutgers late last summer and is expected to sign with head coach Greg Schiano on National Letter of Intent Day. Last week, Rutgers offensive coordinator Craig Ver Steeg paid the Martinek residence a visit and stayed for over two hours. "He was over just to touch base, talk, chat and see if we had any questions," said Martinek's father, who is also named Joe.
"I had quite a few questions. This is a whole new deal for us. It's something we have never gone through. We talked about when classes start, when to visit. We got to know him, he's a great guy and he's very easy to talk to, which helps with Joe, who won't talk to you unless you're outgoing." "We talked about what they have as a college and where they see me playing," the younger Martinek said. And where does Rutgers see him playing? Wherever Martinek fits in the best, which is most likely on defense. We won't know for sure until training camp in July. "I'll go to training camp and see how I do and wherever they need me is where they'll put me," Martinek said. "I just want to get on the field and contribute." Martinek made about as big a contribution to Hopatcong football as anyone possibly could for a high school, including: • Rushing 990 times for a New Jersey career record 7,589 yards (7.6 per carry) for 79 touchdowns. The old state record was held by Keyport's Kenny Cattouse, who rushed for 6,720 -- 869 yards less -- meaning Martinek's four-year standard might be around for quite a while. • Rushing 280 times for 2,079 yards (7.4) and 27 touchdowns as a senior despite running behind an inexperienced line that was exposed in a 22-0 Pascack Valley playoff loss. Martinek rushed 17 times for just 15 yards in that game. • Making 54 tackles and having four sacks, three interceptions and nine batted balls at linebacker, where he was one of the most dominant, yet unheralded, defenders in North Jersey in 2006. • Earning Associated Press first-team all-State as a junior. (Martinek is almost a certainty to repeat this year; the all-State vote took place after this section went to print.) • Leading the Chiefs to a Section 1, Group II title as a junior and a 20-3 record over the last two years. Hopatcong was 1-9 when Martinek started as a freshman but made steady improvement. Martinek's state rushing record and two-way dominance earned him the nod for Player of the Year over Pope John's Jeremy Tucker, Parsippany Hills' Mike Gerardi and Delbarton's Jack McBride. "In order to turn things around from our 1-9 season, the program needed a reliable, solid force," Hopatcong coach Paul Reduzzi said. "Every player worked hard and was dedicated all year round to being successful and attaining our goals. Joe was the X-factor for us. His presence elevated the entire team. He made his teammates better players and his coaches better coaches." With his days at Hopatcong in the rearview mirror, Martinek cannot wait to get started at Rutgers. When he gave his verbal commitment in late August, he was commended for attending the state university. Little did anyone know that Rutgers would ascend into the Top 20 and became a major college football story -- no doubt, one of the stories of college football -- this fall. "I got more excited that I made the decision I did," Martinek said. "I knew they'd be good and a rising program, but they went up fast. Now, we want to maintain that and keep getting better and better." Martinek's father added, "Now when you say you're going to Rutgers, their eyebrows go up. Before, people would say, 'That's nice, you're close to home.' Now, it's, 'You're playing for that team!'" Rutgers began recruiting Martinek at its camp in Piscataway when he was a mere 15-year-old sophomore. RU recruiter Joe Susan liked what he saw of the kid's legs. "He noticed them right away," Martinek's father said. "He looked at Joe from the waist down. Without him saying anything, I said to Susan, 'I thought Joe could have built up his upper body.' But Susan looked at Joe's legs and said, 'That's what we want.'My son always had a very well-developed lower body. He never lifted with his legs, never. He did a lot of speed training, that's all." Martinek figures to use that speed wherever it is beneficial to Rutgers. "When Joe did commit, we thought he was better off playing defense," his father said. "If you look at the big picture, being as versatile as Joe is, it's fortunate that he can go offense or defense. Your heart tells you to get the ball, touch the ball and be the guy you've been. But if you look ahead, what's your best chance of playing early, making a statement and perhaps looking on to the next level? That's probably on the defensive side of the ball. "There are only so many Brian Leonards out there, which isn't to say Joe cannot do it. If they see Joe get on the field on defense, pick one off and runs through everyone and scores, maybe they'll think he offense. You also don't know who else they'll recruit. He's walking into a Top 20 football team. There are a lot of good kids signing and a lot of talent there right now." Add one more, who happens to be the state's all-time leading rusher and someone who cannot wait to get started. "Every once in awhile, if there is an article about the record around, I'll read it," Martinek said. "Right now, I'm just getting my mind set on next year."