Adrian Martinez (American football) facts for kids
Martinez in 2022
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| No. 15 – New York Jets | |
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| Position: | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 7, 2000 Hanford, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Clovis West (Clovis, California) |
| College: | Nebraska (2018–2021) Kansas State (2022) |
| Undrafted: | 2023 |
| Career history | |
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| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Player stats at PFR | |
Adrian Martinez, born on January 7, 2000, is a professional American football player. He plays as a quarterback for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Kansas State Wildcats. In 2024, he also played for the Birmingham Stallions in the United Football League (UFL). During his time in the UFL, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He also led the league in rushing yards and helped his team win the 2024 UFL Championship.
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Early Life and High School Football
Adrian Martinez was born in Hanford, California. He grew up in Fresno, California and went to Clovis West High School. In high school, Adrian was a talented athlete. He played both football and basketball.
As a junior, he was named the Fresno Bee football player of the year. He threw for over 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also ran for more than 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. Sadly, he missed his senior football season because of a shoulder injury from basketball.
Adrian was considered a top football player in high school. Many colleges wanted him to play for them. He first thought about going to the University of California, Berkeley or the University of Tennessee. But in the end, he chose to play for the University of Nebraska.
College Football Career
Adrian Martinez played college football for two different teams. He started at the University of Nebraska. Later, he transferred to Kansas State University.
Playing for Nebraska
Starting as a Freshman (2018)
In 2018, Adrian Martinez made history at Nebraska. He became the first true freshman to start as quarterback for the team. In his first game, he threw for 187 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns.
He got a knee injury in that game and missed the next one. Nebraska had a tough start, losing their first six games. This was the worst start in the team's history. Adrian helped them get their first win against Minnesota. He threw for three touchdowns and ran for another. He earned "Big Ten Freshman of the Week" honors multiple times that season.
By the end of his freshman year, Adrian had 2,617 passing yards and 17 passing touchdowns. He also ran for 629 yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
Sophomore and Junior Seasons (2019-2020)
In 2019, Adrian had high hopes for his sophomore year. People even talked about him as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate. However, the team had a disappointing season, finishing with a 5–7 record.
The 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Adrian faced pressure but showed improvement later in the season. In his best game that year, he completed 24 of 28 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for an amazing 181 yards and two touchdowns. For the season, he had 1,055 passing yards and 521 rushing yards.
Final Year at Nebraska (2021)
In 2021, Adrian played in 11 games for Nebraska. The team had a tough year, finishing with a 3–9 record. They became the first college team to lose nine games by a small difference in score. Adrian completed 189 passes for 2,867 yards and 14 touchdowns.
After the 2021 season, Adrian decided to transfer to another school. He chose to play for Kansas State University for his final year of college football.
Playing for Kansas State (2022)
In 2022, Adrian shared the quarterback position at Kansas State. He had some great rushing performances. He ran for 148 yards and four touchdowns against Oklahoma. He also ran for 171 yards and three touchdowns against Texas Tech.
Overall, in 2022, Adrian had 1,261 passing yards and six passing touchdowns. He also ran for 627 yards and ten rushing touchdowns. Adrian and his fellow quarterback helped the Wildcats achieve a 10–4 record. They also won the Big 12 Championship that year.
Professional Football Career
Adrian Martinez began his professional football journey after college.
Detroit Lions
In May 2023, the Detroit Lions signed Adrian Martinez as an undrafted free agent. This means he was not chosen in the NFL Draft but was signed by a team afterward. He was later released by the Lions in August 2023.
Birmingham Stallions
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In December 2023, Adrian joined the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). The 2024 UFL season was a huge success for him. He was named to the All-UFL team in June 2024. He also won the UFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. On June 16, 2024, he was named the MVP of the 2024 UFL Championship Game. He led the Stallions to win the UFL Championship.
New York Jets
On July 27, 2024, Adrian Martinez signed with the New York Jets. He was later waived by the team in August but then re-signed to their practice squad. In January 2025, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets.
Images for kids
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Adrian Martinez in 2022
