Green football's Antonio Martin is dynamic again after suffering torn ACL late last season
TALLMADGE — As Antonio Martin left the field Friday night, the high school football standout suddenly transformed into a gymnast by executing a celebratory cartwheel and backflip.
“It gets everybody hyped up,” Martin said.
Martin's teammates were already excited, though. He had just rushed nine times for 32 yards and a touchdown (1 yard) and caught six passes for 75 yards and another TD (22 yards).
His stellar performance helped Green (3-0) roll to a 41-14 road victory over Tallmadge (1-2) and thereby avenge a heartbreaking, one-point overtime loss a year ago.
The average fan who attended the rematch at Bagnoli Stadium could not have possibly guessed what Martin has endured since last fall. Not even the brace he wears on his left leg is a dead giveaway, especially considering his electric playmaking ability.
Martin suffered a noncontact torn anterior cruciate ligament on Oct. 14, 2022, during a 50-20 loss to North Canton Hoover in Week 9.
“It kind of broke us in the middle of the game,” Green coach Mark Geis said. “You could hear a pin drop on our sideline.”
The shocking disappointment brought Martin to tears, and he underwent knee surgery on Nov. 19.
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A torn ACL can sideline a football player nine months to a year, but Martin has shattered expectations on the comeback trail. He explained watching teammates in Green's football and basketball programs compete without him served as motivation to return as soon as possible. He worked tirelessly and leaned on his physical therapist for advice. He was medically cleared in seven months and returned to football game action by the start of his junior season.
“A lot of my trainers were like, 'It's a year recovery. You're going to be out. Don't expect to be back the first game [of football season],'” Martin said. “Everybody was telling me, 'You're going to miss the first two or three games.' I was like, 'I just can't do that. I can't do that to myself.'”
Martin's older brothers, Kaleb and Trey, are former Green sports stars who dole out tough love to the youngest of the three siblings. They talk plenty of trash to each other, but they also provide support. It all proved to be invaluable when the dreaded ACL injury struck.
Trey Martin said he sensed an intense determination in Antonio.
“I'm extremely proud of him because I know if I was in that situation, I don't know if I'd be able to have the same level head that he had the whole process of rehab and knowing he had to take timeout,” Trey Martin said by phone. “So seeing what he went through and how he handled the adversity and overcame it, it makes me really excited.”
What position does Antonio Martin play for the Green High School football team? Well, it's complicated
Antonio Martin is one of the area's most dynamic players, and he does virtually everything for Green.
On offense, he's a slot receiver, running back and occasional quarterback. On defense, he's a cornerback. On special teams, he's a returner.
“That's very valuable,” Green senior quarterback Samino Manson said. “I mean, I can't even put into words what he can do.
“I feel very confident in him. He does everything that he's asked to do, and he's really about the team.”
In Green's 14-6 season-opening win over Dover, Martin caught a touchdown pass from Manson.
In Green's 21-7 victory over defending Division V state champion South Range in Week 2, Martin rushed for a touchdown, threw a 51-yard TD pass to senior receiver Zach Baglia and registered an interception.
From an opponent's perspective, the scariest part of it all is Martin said he has yet to truly break out. He expects it to happen when he's at full strength again. It's common for movement skills to dramatically improve in a player's second season back from a torn ACL.
“If I'm being honest, I don't think I'm back to my old self,” Martin said. “[But I'll eventually] be better than ever.”
Medical experts agree.
“The doctors kind of were surprised as they kept moving [through the process with him],” Geis said. “They kept saying he's like the best case they've ever seen as far as rehab. They think it's stronger than what it was before. It's crazy.”
The Akron Zips and Kent State Golden Flashes have Green's Antonio Martin on their radar
As long as Martin continues to progress, his goal to play college football should come into focus. The University of Akron, Kent State University and other Mid-American Conference programs have shown interest, he said. Last season, he earned a third-team All-Ohio nod as a defensive back in Division II.
Trey Martin was named the Ohio Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year as a Green senior wide receiver the same year Antonio played varsity football as a Bulldogs freshman.
"That [42-yard] touchdown pass against Louisville my senior year, when he threw it to me, that's the best memory I've ever had," Trey Martin said.
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Trey Martin redshirted at Ashland University last season and transferred to Walsh University, where he said he's awaiting word from the NCAA on the status of his eligibility. Named the Federal League Player of the Year in 2019, Kaleb Martin played basketball at the University of Charleston and Walsh University.
Now Antonio Martin is writing his own story, and it already includes a chapter about an incredible comeback.
“He's showing that he is the best Martin,” Trey Martin said. “He's the legacy.”
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Green football's Antonio Martin dynamic again after torn ACL
