‘I’m excited for something new’: Adrian Martinez embraces fresh start at Kansas State
Adrian Martinez is proud of the purple tie he is wearing as he struts across the artificial turf inside AT&T Stadium, mingling with reporters and football players from all across the region at Big 12 Media Days. But it’s not the favorite part of his ensemble.
That honor goes to his socks.
His tie has got nothing on those bad boys, which feature horizontal stripes of purple and white. Whenever someone asks about his outfit, he tugs up at his suit pants ever so slightly and shows them off. He found them last week in a Manhattan clothing store and felt like he had to buy them, mostly because they feature the colors of his new school but also because he was never able to wear anything like them at his old college.
“Making the transition from red to purple is harder than most people think,” Martinez says with a laugh. “It changes your wardrobe entirely.”
All kidding aside, this fashion conservation serves as a window into the new life of Martinez, who will play his final season of college football at Kansas State this fall after spending the previous four years at Nebraska.
He has nothing bad to say about the Cornhuskers or Lincoln or the fans who made him feel like a celebrity there. Nebraska is where he learned how to play in big-time environments and where he put up a whopping 10,792 yards of total offense as both a passer and a runner. The place will always feel like home for him. But he also never won more than five games in a single season at Nebraska. He turned the ball over too often and never led the Huskers to a bowl game.
For whatever reason, his teams never thrived.
So, after some soul searching, he decided to transfer. Instead of returning to the same place for his fifth and final year of college football, he opted for a fresh start at K-State. He calls the Wildcats “the most talented offense I have ever been a part of” (mostly because of star running back Deuce Vaughn) and he gets goosebumps about the idea of playing for offensive coordinator Collin Klein.
“I’m excited for something new,” Martinez said. “Having a different feel to the offense and maybe a bit more balance will be mutually beneficial.”
K-State receiver Kade Warner transferred in from Nebraska before last season, and his decision was quickly validated when the Wildcats went 8-5 and stomped LSU at the Texas Bowl.
No K-State player seemed more excited about reaching the postseason than Warner, and Martinez understands why.
“I have seen his bowl ring,” Martinez said. “Trust me, he won’t shut up about it. He made it, now it’s my turn. I really just want to have a great year with these guys and win some football games. I think the rest of it will take care of itself. But a bowl game is definitely on my list of goals.”
He has a few other aspirations in mind. Martinez would love to show off his arm more than his legs in Manhattan. He is also aiming to limit turnovers and create a dynamic running game along with Vaughn when he is asked to gain yards on the ground.
One more thing: He would like to be viewed as a leader in the locker room. He seems well on his way in that regard.
“I see him going through summer workouts where he is cleared and healthy and I’m watching him command the room,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “He’s a tremendously mature individual that brings out the best in everybody and that’s what excites me about him.”
It didn’t take long for Martinez to make an impression. He was recovering from shoulder surgery during most of spring practice, so he was unable to participate in most throwing drills, but he challenged his teammates to races in warm ups and pushed them in the weight room.
Those are things he didn’t do at Nebraska.
“All of a sudden you are starting from scratch,” Martinez said. “I had been a three-time captain there and felt very established in my role but that is part of what has driven me so much in this new place, having a new opportunity to reinvent myself and really get the most out of myself. I have to push myself everyday. These guys don’t know me. I don’t have my reputation to bank on, it’s what they’re seeing every day.”
Some will infer that Martinez is subtly insulting Nebraska when he talks so glowingly about his new life at K-State, but that is not his intention.
Martinez still has love for Nebraska and seriously considered finishing out his college career there. But sometimes a change of scenery is best for everyone involved. He has a story to help illustrate that point.
It’s been so long since he was a college freshman that he took recruiting visits to Tennessee when Butch Jones was coach and Ohio State when Urban Meyer was in charge. He started talking to Nebraska before Scott Frost was hired. When the Buckeyes hosted him on his trip, the quarterbacks there were J.T. Barrett, Joe Burrow, Tate Martell and the late Dwayne Haskins.
“Yeah, I’m an old guy,” Martinez said. “A lot has changed since then.”
It’s time for Martinez to change, too.
The transformation is already underway. It will soon involve much more than a new suit and tie (and socks).
“I will cherish (Nebraska) for the rest of my life, but I feel like it was time for me to move on from that and put that in my rear view mirror and make the most out of this year,” Martinez said. “There were lots of successes, lots of failures and lots of other stuff that came with my four years at Nebraska. I am ready to just do something different and be something else here at Kansas State.”
This story was originally published July 14, 2022 at 10:19 AM.