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 2 in (1.88 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 January 7, 2000) is an American professional football quarterback. He currently plays for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and Nebraska Cornhuskers. In 2024, he also played for the Birmingham Stallions in the United Football League (UFL). During his time in the UFL, he was the league's top rusher. He also won the UFL's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award and the UFL Championship Game MVP award. He helped his team win the 2024 UFL Championship.
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Early Life and High School Football
Adrian Martinez was born on January 1, 2000, in Hanford, California. He went to Clovis West High School in Fresno, California. In high school, Adrian played both football and basketball.
He was a very talented football player. In his junior year, he was named the Fresno Bee football player of the year. He threw for 2,562 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,462 yards and 14 touchdowns. Sadly, he missed his senior football season. He got a shoulder injury (a torn labrum) while playing basketball.
Experts thought Adrian was a top player. He was considered a four-star prospect. He was also ranked as one of the best "dual-threat" quarterbacks. A dual-threat quarterback is a player who is good at both throwing the ball and running with it. Adrian first planned to play college football at the University of California, Berkeley or the University of Tennessee. But he later chose the University of Nebraska.
College Football Career
Playing for Nebraska
Adrian Martinez started his college career at the University of Nebraska.
First Year: 2018
In 2018, Adrian became the first true freshman to start as quarterback for Nebraska. This means he was a first-year college student who played right away. In his first game, he threw for 187 yards and ran for 117 yards. He scored three touchdowns in total.
He got a knee injury in that game and missed the next one. Nebraska lost its first six games that year. This was the worst start in the team's history. Adrian got his first college win against Minnesota. He threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for another touchdown. For this great game, he was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week. He earned this award two more times that season.
Adrian finished his first year with 2,617 passing yards and 17 passing touchdowns. He also ran for 629 yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
Sophomore Year: 2019
Adrian had high hopes for his second year in 2019. Some even thought he might be a candidate for the Heisman Trophy. However, the season was tough for him and the team. Nebraska finished with a disappointing 5–7 record.
Junior Year: 2020
The 2020 season was affected by Covid-19. Adrian faced a lot of pressure. In the first game, he played well, but after a tough second game, his coach decided to start another player. Adrian returned to play later in the season. He showed a lot of improvement. His best game was against Rutgers. He completed 24 of 28 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns.
In seven games, Adrian had 1,055 passing yards and 4 passing touchdowns. He also ran for 521 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns.
Senior Year: 2021
In 2021, Adrian played in 11 games for Nebraska. The team had a tough season, finishing with a 3–9 record. They made history by losing nine games by a very small difference (single digits). Adrian completed 189 passes for 2,867 yards and 14 touchdowns.
After the season, Adrian decided to transfer to another college. He still had one year of eligibility left. On December 16, 2021, he announced he would be joining Kansas State.
Playing for Kansas State
In the 2022 season, Adrian shared the quarterback role with another player, Will Howard. Adrian had some amazing rushing games. 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 Will Howard helped lead the Kansas State Wildcats to a great 10–4 record. They also won the Big 12 Championship!
Professional Football Career
Detroit Lions
After college, Adrian Martinez was not chosen in the NFL Draft. However, the Detroit Lions signed him as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2023. He was later released by the team on August 29, 2023.
Birmingham Stallions
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On December 24, 2023, Adrian joined the Birmingham Stallions in the United Football League (UFL). He had an incredible 2024 season with the Stallions.
He was named to the 2024 All-UFL team on June 5, 2024. This means he was one of the best players in the league. On June 10, he was named the UFL's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He also won the 2024 UFL Championship MVP award on June 16, 2024. He led the Stallions to win the UFL Championship!
New York Jets
On July 27, 2024, Adrian Martinez was signed by the New York Jets. He was later waived on August 27, but then re-signed to their practice squad. On January 6, 2025, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets.
Images for kids
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Martinez in 2022
