Martinek continues to move forward
Bobby Deren
ScarletNation.com Senior Writer
Rutgers running back Joe Martinek is ready to pick up right where he left off last season. The last time Martinek took the field, he helped lead Rutgers to a Papajohns.com Bowl victory, grinding out 58 yards on 9 carries in the game's final seventeen minutes. And although there was a break in the action before the start of spring practice, Martinek refused to rest.
"I added a lot of weight," said Martinek. "I ate a lot and I got a lot stronger. My conditioning is a lot better. Now, I'm just trying to learn the offense so that it becomes second nature. I did all the smart things, went to bed early and tried to keep my body in the best shape possible."
Despite the rigorous offseason workout regimen, Martinek did take some time during the break to reach out to his own community. He returned to his former elementary school and addressed the students, whom he owed a bit of thanks.
"The kids sent me Christmas letters and all this stuff so I went back and paid my respects to them and also got a chance to say hello to my old teachers. It was a fun experience."
Now that the Scarlet Knights are back out on the practice field, Martinek will have the chance to show just how much he has benefited from his off-season preparations. And with Kordell Young out for the spring and Mason Robinson moving out to wide receiver, there are a lot more reps available for Martinek.
"I'm anxious to see him as we get into scrimmages in things," said Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano.
Martinek is equally as anxious to get out and stick his nose back into real football action.
"I love throwing the body out there, playing live and doing everything I can for that extra yard. There's always a lot of things to work on. We have to get in the film room and I know I have to work on a couple of things and try to straighten it all out."
Technically, Martinek is still only a redshirt freshman. However, he has already been through quite a journey during his stint in Piscataway. He initially debuted as a safety, then excelled as a scout team running back before switching over to the offense.
"It seems like forever ago, but I'm real happy to be on the offensive side of the ball," said Martinek. "I think my first couple of weeks, first couple of months here, I was really clueless. The game moved so fast, I didn't know what was going on. Every freshman comes in and thinks he's going to play right away, but it's a total change. Now, I feel a lot more confident and comfortable with what's going on."
That confidence has enabled Martinek to mature beyond his years on the football field. In fact, that maturation is likely to help the Scarlet Knights in more ways than one this upcoming season.
"I'm going to be a junior in the fall, school wise, so I feel like people are going to be looking up to me. They're going to be looking up to me to lead them and I'm looking to take on that leadership role."