Martinez eyes banner season as senior defensive back for Ohio State

By Greg Gielczyk  
LocalSportsJournal.com  

COLUMBUS, OH–Entering his fourth year on the Ohio State football team, Cameron Martinez of Muskegon feels he still has something to prove after struggling last year.  

The 5-10, 198-pound senior defensive safety is confident this could be his best season, particularly since he is now healthy and coming off a good spring.  

“I don’t think last year I played at quite the standard I wanted to, and I wasn’t healthy at all,” Martinez said recently. “I think it’s my chance to make all the things right.”  

After taking reps with the first team all spring, Martinez – a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete – says he is confident he can begin the season as a starter.  

It’s something he’s worked for since coming to Columbus following an outstanding prep career as quarterback for the Big Reds. He is a veteran of 25 games played, with three starting assignments.  

His biggest highlight so far came against Tulsa when he returned a pass interception 61 yards for a “pick 6.”

The former Mr. Football in Michigan understandably is excited about the prospect of beginning a season as a starter in the defensive backfield. With that comes more roles and responsibilities.

“Just to make plays, and not do anything off the ball,” Martinez said. “Do my job, and help my teammates. I remember when I was a little kid, this was where I wanted to come.  

“I think we’ve got a really deep room (of defensive safeties), and we just have to make sure we work together. The start of (fall) camp has been good. I’m picking up where I left off (in the spring).”  

Martinez said this year’s safety room is the deepest it’s been since he’s been at OSU, which should give the Buckeyes a good shot at the Big Ten title. As the old saying goes, “defense wins championships.”  

But this group is also versatile, and can start at every position in the backfield rather than each being limited to filling a specific role, and not varying from it.  

“I think this is the first year that we’ve really had a lot of depth,” Martinez said, “and had a lot of talent, had a lot of players that can play multiple positions.  

“It ought to help us. There’s a lot of snaps in a game, and to have multiple people come in that can play a significant role I think is really important for our team.”  

Pointing toward the season, Martinez is taking a simple, basic approach.  

“I’m just taking it day-by-day,” Martinez said. “Doing what I can to become a better football player, physically and mentally. That’s what football camp is all about.  

“This year being year four, and being a quarterback in high school, I definitely think I’ve gotten a lot better. Starting to see it on the field. Been working on it.  

“When you come here, you know it’s always competitive. I think it helps us. It makes us all better, for sure.”  

He feels he’s picked up where he left off in spring camp.  

“Usually, you think it takes a couple practices to get the rust off, but this year that hasn’t been the case,” Martinez said. “I think the offense and defense have been really getting after it.  

“It’s been really competitive, as it should be, and I think we’re off to a good start (in fall camp).  

Martinez admits making the transition from quarterback to defensive back was difficult at first.  

“Different side of the ball, there’s a lot of things you’ve got to learn,” he said. “I’d say the X’s and O’s part were a little simple just because I’d played quarterback, and I knew what everybody was doing on that end.  

“Still, it was tough in the beginning. Now, everything has slowed down a lot more.  

“I kind of know what to expect and everything.”

Is there a little bit of a chip on the Buckeyes’ shoulder after losing to Michigan for the second straight time last year?  

“We know what happened last year, and what we’re trying to get,” he said. “And I think, in my fourth year, we’re putting all the pieces together.  

“I think we have a really good team and we can go out there and win this thing.”  

Martinez feels there’s a real sense of unity, a “brotherhood” with the team.  

“We’ve been together for a while, this whole team has, and the offense and defense … just the way we’ve been clicking, the momentum we have from spring ball has been really good,” he added.  

“There’s always an edge. We just know how short we were (to winning the Big Ten). We went back to the drawing board, and knew what we had to do this off-season.  

“I think the urgency has been better than ever since I’ve been here, and I think everybody has been getting after it. We’re ready to start this thing.”  

He’s confident the offense will hold up its end of the bargain.  

“From the O-line to receivers’ room, to the running backs, I think we’re deep in all those positions,” Martinez said. “I don’t think there’s any question the quarterback will have success like the ones in the past.  

“What’s happened the past two years, we’re just hungry more than ever now. It (beating Michigan) means everything to me. I kind of grew up on that rivalry, and the feeling leaving that state.”  

Martinez is hoping to play a big part in this year’s season-ending clash.  

“Right now, I’m just stacking the days,” he concluded.