STAFF WRITER
PISCATAWAY — Joe Martinek readily admits that for the first two years of high school, he “never said a word to anyone.” Shy and focused on his athletic career, Martinek couldn’t hold onto his anonymity for long, however, not as he accumulated enough high school yardage to become the state’s all-time leader.
By now, the sophomore running back at Rutgers insists he’s quite chatty compared to the way he was then. That probably comes as news to Rutgers’ senior quarterback Mike Teel. Teel described a conversation with Martinek going something like this:
Teel: “What’s up Joe?”
Martinek: Head nod.
Teel: “How you doing Joe?”
Martinek: Head nod, this time with a smile.
Teel doesn’t mind if Martinek never says a word as long as he continues to make the statement he’s beginning to make on the football field. Signed as a defensive back out of high school, where coach Greg Schiano believed the 6-foot, 215-pounder would have the best chance to impact the roster, Martinek returned to the offensive backfield last spring. He spent much of the fall playing running back on the scout team, ending up using his redshirt year to get back to the place he always belonged.
Not that he ever said so.
“I told coach Schiano that wherever they needed me, whatever I could do to help the team, that was fine with me,” Martinek said. Still, he never gave up the idea of carrying the ball.
“He switched, but I don’t think he was ever not a running back,” Teel said. “It took him a while to learn it again, but I saw him run with confidence and purpose.”
The running back depth chart has been a revolving door in this initial post-Ray Rice season at Rutgers. The Big East opener looms Saturday at West Virginia, and Schiano continues to voice concern about the team’s run-blocking ability. With Rice now a Baltimore Raven, the fight to replace him has gone from Kordell Young to Mason Robinson to Jordan Brooks to Martinek.
Young, the starter in the opening loss to Fresno State, has been shelved by a lingering knee injury since, with Schiano admitting for the first time Tuesday that Young might not return this season.
“He seems to be having setbacks here and there. There’s a chance [he could be out for the year],” Schiano said.
Robinson’s status also is up in the air, with Schiano pointing to a preseason hip pointer as slowing him down. Brooks has emerged as a solid starter, gaining 138 yards against Navy and 67 in last week’s win over Morgan State. But Martinek is the next best option, breaking out for 61 yards and a touchdown on eight carries against Navy and gaining another 30 yards on nine carries last week.
“The Navy game really helped me to know I can play at this level, that I can handle the speed of the game,” Martinek said.
An outstanding track athlete at Hopatcong High School, Martinek has designs on competing in the decathlon one day. He was the state’s best javelin thrower for most of his high school career, winning a national title as a senior at California’s Golden West meet, and was an outstanding high jumper, long jumper and sprinter. He’s hopeful of competing for Rutgers this spring in the javelin, and focus on track again after college.
For now, however, he’s thrilled to be carrying the football. Even when he was more focused on delivering a hit than avoiding one, he never forgot his roots.
“It was always in the back of my head,” he said. “Even when I watched NFL games, I concentrated on the running backs. That’s what came naturally to me.”
Now, he can finally say so.
E-mail: sullivan@northjersey.com
PISCATAWAY — Joe Martinek readily admits that for the first two years of high school, he “never said a word to anyone.” Shy and focused on his athletic career, Martinek couldn’t hold onto his anonymity for long, however, not as he accumulated enough high school yardage to become the state’s all-time leader.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rutgers' Joe Martinek escaping from Morgan State's Justin Lawrence during the Scarlet Knights' 38-0 win Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.
By now, the sophomore running back at Rutgers insists he’s quite chatty compared to the way he was then. That probably comes as news to Rutgers’ senior quarterback Mike Teel. Teel described a conversation with Martinek going something like this:
Teel: “What’s up Joe?”
Martinek: Head nod.
Teel: “How you doing Joe?”
Martinek: Head nod, this time with a smile.
Teel doesn’t mind if Martinek never says a word as long as he continues to make the statement he’s beginning to make on the football field. Signed as a defensive back out of high school, where coach Greg Schiano believed the 6-foot, 215-pounder would have the best chance to impact the roster, Martinek returned to the offensive backfield last spring. He spent much of the fall playing running back on the scout team, ending up using his redshirt year to get back to the place he always belonged.
Not that he ever said so.
“I told coach Schiano that wherever they needed me, whatever I could do to help the team, that was fine with me,” Martinek said. Still, he never gave up the idea of carrying the ball.
“He switched, but I don’t think he was ever not a running back,” Teel said. “It took him a while to learn it again, but I saw him run with confidence and purpose.”
The running back depth chart has been a revolving door in this initial post-Ray Rice season at Rutgers. The Big East opener looms Saturday at West Virginia, and Schiano continues to voice concern about the team’s run-blocking ability. With Rice now a Baltimore Raven, the fight to replace him has gone from Kordell Young to Mason Robinson to Jordan Brooks to Martinek.
Young, the starter in the opening loss to Fresno State, has been shelved by a lingering knee injury since, with Schiano admitting for the first time Tuesday that Young might not return this season.
“He seems to be having setbacks here and there. There’s a chance [he could be out for the year],” Schiano said.
Robinson’s status also is up in the air, with Schiano pointing to a preseason hip pointer as slowing him down. Brooks has emerged as a solid starter, gaining 138 yards against Navy and 67 in last week’s win over Morgan State. But Martinek is the next best option, breaking out for 61 yards and a touchdown on eight carries against Navy and gaining another 30 yards on nine carries last week.
“The Navy game really helped me to know I can play at this level, that I can handle the speed of the game,” Martinek said.
An outstanding track athlete at Hopatcong High School, Martinek has designs on competing in the decathlon one day. He was the state’s best javelin thrower for most of his high school career, winning a national title as a senior at California’s Golden West meet, and was an outstanding high jumper, long jumper and sprinter. He’s hopeful of competing for Rutgers this spring in the javelin, and focus on track again after college.
For now, however, he’s thrilled to be carrying the football. Even when he was more focused on delivering a hit than avoiding one, he never forgot his roots.
“It was always in the back of my head,” he said. “Even when I watched NFL games, I concentrated on the running backs. That’s what came naturally to me.”
Now, he can finally say so.
E-mail: sullivan@northjersey.com